Name: Blackberry Nutella Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 350 min
Yield: for 1 cake (20 cm/8-inch in diameter or 12 slices)
Cuisine: Slovenian
Ingredients: 10 g (1 tbsp) unflavored powdered gelatine or 6 sheets; 450 g (1 3/4 cup) whipping cream; 2 tbsp sugar; 210 g (1 1/4 cup) white chocolate chips; 450 g (2 cups) mascarpone cheese; 150 g (1/2 cup) Nutella; 250 g (1/2 pound) blackberries, fresh or frozen; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1/2 tsp cornstarch; 60 ml (1/4 cup) water; 310 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour; 3 tsp (12g) baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 5 eggs; 280 g (1 1/3 cup) sugar; 3 tsp vanilla paste; 120 g (1/2 cup) milk; 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream; 115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter; 150 g (1/2 cup) whipping cream; 120 g (3/4 cup) chocolate (35% - 45% cocoa); 3 tsp unsalted butter

Blackberry Nutella Cake

I couldn't be happier that cakes are always in season, especially if there's Nutella involved. There's probably no other dessert that brings out so much fun, joy, and happiness as the cake does. We usually bake them for happy occasions, and there's so much love and effort that goes into making a homemade cake. We wanted to share a simple birthday cake recipe that both fruit lovers and chocolate lovers would like. So for our son's first birthday party, we decided to make a combination of blackberry and Nutella. The cake was so well received, and everyone genuinely liked it so much. It's best to make everything one day ahead, then finish it off a few hours before serving.

The best Blackberry Nutella Birthday Cake

Every layer in this Blackberry Nutella Cake is glorious. No flavor is overpowering; they work together beautifully, creating one glorious, fruity, sweet, chocolatey bomb of goodness. These are the top reasons why we love it so much:

the sponge cake is soft, fluffy, and slightly crumbly
the blackberry cream is fresh, very creamy, fruity, and not overly sweet
the Nutella cream is super creamy, airy, sweet, with a deep Nutella hazelnut flavor
the chocolate coating is shiny and covers the cake completely
this cake is excellent for fruit cake lovers and chocoholics
it's best to make it one day ahead of the celebration for the flavors to develop and combine

This Blackberry Nutella Cake makes 12 generous slices.

How to make a soft vanilla sponge cake for the cake

This delicious sponge cake deserves a special section in this blog post. You will find the entire recipe with ingredients and instructions below. Here's an overview of the recipe for easier preparation. This is how we make it:

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, stir to combine the milk and sour cream.
Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. It's super important to beat the mixture long enough to make it airy and soft.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and the milk mixture into the egg mixture. Don't overwork the mix; we want it smooth and light.
Stir in the melted butter and bake for 22 - 25 minutes.
Leave the sponge cake in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. This way, it will be easier to remove from the pan.

How to make Nutella cream for cakes at home

In this Blackberry Nutella Cake, we will find two creams. First is the blackberry cream, which is made with homemade blackberry marmalade. The second is the Nutella cream, made with Nutella. The base for both creams is the same. You will find the entire recipe with ingredients and instructions below. Here's an overview of the recipe for easier preparation. This is how we make the Nutella cream:

Make the base cream. Stir together the gelatine, whipping cream, and sugar.
Pour boiling whipping cream over the white chocolate. Add the mascarpone and stir well to combine.
Place in the fridge for 4 - 6 hours, or overnight.
Add Nutella (or blackberry marmalade) and mix well with an electric mixer.

Assembling the cake

This birthday beauty has six layers: sponge cake, blackberry cream, sponge cake, Nutella cream, sponge cake, and chocolate coating.

When assembling the cake, it's essential to:

Spread the cream to the edges of the sponge cake.
When our cake is assembled, use your hand and gently press the sponge cake down. The creams will divide evenly.
Before coating the cake with chocolate, use a spatula or a bench scraper, smooth out the cream on the sides of the cake.
Bring the chocolate coating mixture to room temperature. Start pouring the chocolate in the center of the cake and leave it to work its magic, don't use a spatula or other tools.

Optionally brush the sponge cakes with sugar syrup. Brush each sponge cake with simple sugar syrup or liquor. This way, the sponge cake will be soft and fluffy. Add 50g (1/4 cup) sugar and 200ml (1 3/4 cup) water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a liqueur (Kirsch, Grand Marnier, Vin Santo). Set aside to cool to room temperature, then brush the cakes with a kitchen brush.

What should I do if I only have one pan or I don't have any cake pans?

In case you only have one pan, you will need to bake the sponge cake separately. Divide the cake batter into three parts and bake each cake separately.
Or you can use a simple 30 cm x 40 cm (12-inch x 16-inch) baking sheet. When the sponge cake is baked, cut two 20 cm (8-inch) circles and two semicircles from the cake. Assemble the semicircles into a 20 cm (8-inch) circle.

Storing

It's best to serve this Blackberry Nutella Cake fresh.

Feel free to store the whole cake or any leftover slices in the fridge for up to two days. Thirty minutes before serving, take the cake from the refrigerator.

You can make the Nutella cream and blackberry cream one day ahead of assembling the cake. Or keep them separately, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can freeze the creams too. Keep them separately in an airtight container for up to a month. Before using, defrost and bring to room temperature.

You can freeze the baked sponge cake too. Keep it in the freezer for up to a month. Before using, defrost and bring to room temperature.

Try these fabulous birthday cake recipes too

Ingredients

Basic Cream

10 g (1 tbsp) unflavored powdered gelatine or 6 sheets

450 g (1 3/4 cup) whipping cream

2 tbsp sugar

210 g (1 1/4 cup) white chocolate chips

450 g (2 cups) mascarpone cheese

150 g (1/2 cup) Nutella

blackberry marmalade

250 g (1/2 pound) blackberries, fresh or frozen

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp cornstarch

60 ml (1/4 cup) water

sponge cake

310 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

3 tsp (12g) baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

5 eggs

280 g (1 1/3 cup) sugar

3 tsp vanilla paste

120 g (1/2 cup) milk

120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream

115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter

chocolate glaze

150 g (1/2 cup) whipping cream

120 g (3/4 cup) chocolate (35% - 45% cocoa)

3 tsp unsalted butter

Tools and equipment

three 20 cm (8-inch) round non-stick springform cake pans

bowl

saucepan

whisk

bowl

spatula

fine-mash sieve

METHOD

preparation

Preheat the fan-assisted oven to 170°C / 340°C or a regular oven to 180°C / 350°C. Place the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease three 20 cm (8-inch) round non-stick springform cake pans. Don't forget to grease the sides too.

Tip

If you only have one 20 cm (8-inch) round non-stick springform cake pan, you will need to bake the sponge cake separately three times.
make the cream

Add gelatine to a bowl filled with 40 ml (3 tbsp) water and set aside for 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine. Using a whisk, combine the mixture until the gelatine dissolves. Add white chocolate to a large bowl and pour the boiling hot whipping cream mixture over it. Set aside for 5 minutes, then stir well using a spatula. Stir in the mascarpone to get a smooth mixture. Cover with cling film so that the cling film touches the cream, then place in the fridge for 4 - 6 hours, or overnight. After that time, the cream should have a cream cheese consistency.

Tip

If you're in a hurry, stir the cream a couple of times while it's resting in the fridge. It will cool sooner.

Optionally, use gelatine sheets instead of powdered gelatine. In that case, use 6 gelatine sheets and follow the instruction on the package. Drain well before using.
blackberry marmelade

Combine blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan. Stir with a spatula, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes—press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film. Make sure the cling film touches the marmalade to prevent the skin from forming. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer the marmalade to a fridge until needed.
sponge cake

In a small bowl, stir to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla paste. Mix for 5 - 8 minutes on high speed or until the mixture triples in size. In a separate small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream. Gradually, in alternations, start adding the dry ingredients and sour cream mixture to the egg mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined before adding the next alternation. Lastly, stir in the melted (cool) butter. Pour the sponge cake batter into the prepared baking pans. Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 22 - 25 minutes at 170°C / 340°C (fan-assisted oven) or at 180°C / 350°C (regular oven). Remove the baked sponge cake from the oven. Place in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tip

Bake all three sponge cakes at once. Place two pans in the middle of the oven, and place the third pan to the bottom of the oven. Once the first two (at the center) are baked, remove them from the oven and transfer the bottom pan to the middle of the oven. Continue baking for another 3 minutes or until the sponge cake is baked.

If the top of the cake isn't even, use a serrated knife to cut off the top to make it even.
Cream

Remove the cream from the fridge and divide it in half. Stir Nutella into one half of the cream and blackberry marmalade into the other half. Beat both creams separately with an electric mixer for about 2 - 3 minutes or until they are creamy and smooth.
Assemble the cake

Transfer the sponge cake to a wire rack. Optionally brush each sponge cake with a tablespoon of syrup or liqueur. Spread the blackberry cream over the sponge cake, then place another sponge cake on top. Spread the Nutella cream over the sponge cake, and finish with the last layer of sponge cake. Using your hand, gently press the cake in the center toward the bottom to help the cream divide evenly. Using a spatula or a bench scraper, smooth out the cream on the sides of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for 30 - 60 minutes.
decorate the cake

Pour whipping cream into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add chocolate to a bowl. Pour the boiling hot whipping cream over the chocolate in a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes, then add the butter cut into cubes. Combine with a whisk. Remove the cake from the fridge and pour chocolate over the cake, starting in the center of the cake. Transfer to a serving platter and keep refrigerated until serving. Optionally decorate with fresh blackberries. Thirty minutes before serving, place the cake at room temperature.

—

Blackberry Nutella Cake