super moist chocolate cake & to-die-for nutella frosting

There is absolutely nothing that can be said to make me stop you from liking this cake. I suppose it is possible for you to like the nutella frosting more than the cake itself, but that remains to be seen. It truly is to-die-for. You don't have to take my word for it. But you should. The only thing wrong with this recipe, is that you probably haven't tried it yet because you are still licking the screen, and I really can't help you there. I'm still dealing with withdrawal. No it doesn't look like much, but a little mouse, aka husband, thought that he would generously get me a piece of cake before I had taken pictures of it. How thoughtful. Well, for me, and perhaps not so much for you, since it doesn't look quite as pretty as it really, truly was. And you know, Jeff was being helpful since pregnant women are supposed to eat their greens and all. Yes, there is some sautéed puréed spinach in this cake. If you can taste it, you have issues. Serious issues. Even Dad can't taste it, and that is of nearly epic proportions. I can't really blame Jeff for taking a few pieces of cake out of the pan, as he did also enthusiastically frost the cake. Yes, that means he got to lick the beater. Not that I ever, ever, do such a thing, but I slightly envious of someone who does. Super Moist Chocolate Cake & To-Die-for Nutella Frosting Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup cocoa 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk (or make your own) 1/2 cup canola oil 1 cup boiling water including a shot of espresso, or a cup of coffee 1 tsp vanilla 3 tbsp steamed and very finely pureed spinach (I keep a container full in the freezer) 1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, this seems low, but will help to keep the cake from rising in the middle and cracking. 2. Grease or spray a 9x13 baking sheet. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 4. Add the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, coffee, vanilla and spinach to the dry ingredients before mixing. 5. Mix together just until combined. 6. Pour into the prepared baking pan, and place into a pre-heated oven. 7. Wait 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. To-Die-for Nutella Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup nutella 1 tbsp softened butter 1 cup icing sugar 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream 2 tsp vanilla 1. In an upright mixer with a whisk attachment or food processor, thoroughly combine the nutella with the butter. 2. Slowly add the icing sugar, and scrape down the sides. 3. Add the heavy cream, and the vanilla. Combine. If the frosting appears too thick, add a touch more cream. 4. When the cake is cool, ice the cake carefully with a spreader. This frosting will be thick, but not so thick that it is impossible to ice the cake. 5. Enjoy!
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chocolate hazelnut birthday party cake

Yep, I just celebrated one more year of fun. And luckily, our friends Ross and Cindy joined us for the celebration, just before they return to teaching in Hong Kong. We planned dinner to be gluten-free, but a birthday requires cake, and yes I made my own cake. A chocolate hazelnut cake! Sometime around 3pm, with guests arriving at 6pm, I decided to make a cake, and what exactly was I thinking? There was already guacamole, and my favourite cilantro and onion mix, I surely would devour it all with chips, before even getting to the tacos, AND there was ice cream too...so there was definitely no shortage of food! But what fun is a dinner party without a little bit of last minute preparation, and a little excess? Jeff also made his world famous chocolate hazelnut ice cream. It really shouldn't be called ice cream, but perhaps a frozen heart attack. It is the richest ice cream I have ever, ever, ever had. And I am going to share the idiot proof recipe with you. Keep reading. I decided to make the first cake recipe I found, in the hopes that I just might be able to have the cake ready in time, and I couldn't believe my luck. I opened up the Silver Palate Cookbook to the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream and Chocolate Icing. Plus, underneath the title it says, "The best chocolate cake in the universe!" I had to know more. Yes, it is a cake with two delicious layers of icing! The recipe for the cake was fairly effortless once the hazelnuts were roasted, although, trying to get the skins off of hazelnuts is next to impossible, even while I did enjoy basking in the gloriously fragrant scent of hazelnuts wafting through the summer air. I think it nearly made me drunk. I probably love the hazelnut and chocolate combination more than most any other combination in the world, so perhaps I am at least a wee bit biased about this cake. But it was a pretty good cake. Next time, I will add an espresso to the cake for added moisture, and pulverize the hazelnuts to a finer paste. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Adapted, but only slightly, from the Silver Palate Cookbook Start with roasting 2 cups whole hazlenuts on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 inutes, or until the flesh is starting to peak out. Rub between towels to remove as much skin as possible. Place the hazelnuts in the food processor, and grind until finely ground (but not yet a paste), remove 3 tbsp of hazelnuts, and set aside. Here are ground hazelnuts about to go for a swim in the cake batter: Continue to grind the rest of the hazelnuts until it becomes a very fine paste, like natural peanut butter. Hazelnut Buttercream 1 1/4 cups shelled hazelnuts 5 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons of brandy (I used nocino, a walnut liqueur) 1 cup icing sugar, sifted 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1. Add the hazelnut paste to a bowl and combine with the honey and liqueur, and let this sit while making the cake. 2. Once it is time to start assembling the cake, cream together the icing sugar and butter, until it is light an fluffy. Add the hazelnut paste and thoroughly combine. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake 4 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon self-rising cake flour 1/4 tsp salt 3 tablespoons very finely ground skinned hazelnuts Hazelnut Buttercream (recipe above) Chocolate Icing (recipe follows) 1. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick and pale yellow. 2. Melt the chocolate with the butter, in a microwave safe dish. Turn the microwave on for 10-15 seconds, and then stop and stir. Be careful, or it can burn easily. Let cool, slightly. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. 4. Pour the chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture bit by bit, being careful to stir constantly, but just enough to blend. Add the flour, salt and reserved ground hazelnuts. 5. Whip egg whites until stiff, and fold gently into batter. 6. Pour the cake batter into prepared pan. 7. Set in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are firm and inside is set but still somewhat soft. Do not worry if it cracks slighly. Cool in the pan, set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove the sides of the cake from the pan with a knife, and continue to cool the cake to room temperature. 8. When the cake is cool, invert it onto a serving plate and spread the top and sides with the hazelnut buttercream. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 9. Remove cake from refrigerator and spread the top and sides with warm chocolate icing. Work quickly, as icing sets quickly. Place the cake back into the refrigerator to cool at least another 30 minutes, or as long as you can stand waiting.... Chocolate Icing 4 tablespoons butter 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons whipping cream 2/3 cup sifted icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together, but only enough to allow them to combine into a thick paste. 2. Beat in the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla. 3. Spread this on the cake while warm. It might be a little runny, if it is too warm, but it will be just fine.
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world's richest chocolate-hazelnut ice cream

This is so unbelievably rich, you will hardly believe it. I prefer to make ice cream from absolute scratch for my own peace of mind. But, in a pinch, this will do much more than make do. It's absolutely sinful. 1 can of condensed milk 2 cups of whipping cream 1 cup of nutella 1. Place an empty container, that will later hold the ice cream, into the freezer to cool. 2. Combine the ingredients in the blender. Decide who will lick the nutella spoon. 3. Pour the mixture into the ice cream dasher, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. 4. Freeze for at least another 1-2 hours, depending upon freezer temperature. 5. Serve, and do at least try to share.
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fri five fave food finds

I hope you didn't think I'd forget! No way! 1. So, I told you about Coca-Cola in Venice. And if you haven't heard, Lucca, Italy, is doing quite the opposite. 2. This local blog, at the root, is a little hard to describe, but perhaps best said as "insights, rants, and observations of the local movement in Alberta". Interesting stuff. 3. Make your own NUTELLA. *IMPROVED VERSION* 4. What to make with the nutella. Nutella Cake by Nigella. 5. french broad luscious chocolates - beautiful hand-crafted chocolates, and a LOUNGE! I haven't tried these, or been there. But it looks fantastic, and perhaps this will inspired a new trip. Oh darn.
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Bacio: Sweet & Simple Nutella Ice Cream

I absolutely adore hazelnuts. There is something so satisfyingly rich, and buttery about their roasted flavour. I am constantly trying to find ways to incorporate them into everything I can. And this dessert has to be simplest of all; I don't even need any hazelnuts.... But Nutella instead, the consummate hazelnut combination. It really is like a kiss. Bacio!

Bacio Ice Cream

1 300 mL can sweetened condensed milk
2.5 cups 35% heavy cream
4 tbsp best quality cocoa
6 heaping tbsp Nutella
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp fleur de sel

1. Place a resealable container in the freezer to cool. This will keep the ice cream from immediately melting once removed from the dasher.
2. In a blender, combine the condensed milk, heavy cream, cocoa, vanilla, fleur de sel, and 3 tbsp of the Nutella.
3. Add the mixture to a prepared ice cream dasher, and churn.
3. When the mixture resembles "soft ice cream", and just before you would normally empty the dasher; add the remaining 3 tbsp Nutella, trying to "ribbon" it into the mixture. Try to keep the mixture from becoming over-mixed, the intention is for "ribbons" of Nutella to remain.
4. Place the ice cream into the cooled container, and immediately skip to the freezer. The ice cream will be ready to enjoy once it is a bit more solid. Kiss in the meantime. Patience.
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