Guest Recipe Post: Coryanne Ettiene's Nutella Sandwich Cake

Get ready for what my friend Coryanne Ettiene has in store for you in today's Guest Recipe Post!  This talented Food and Lifestyle Expert has what she calls "a stick to your gut, better reach for your spanx kinda cake recipe."

So, here we go!  Buckle up and get ready to fall for her Nutella Sandwich Cake!

This is not a light cake; rather it is a dense, heavy cake best served chilled with a tall glass of milk, kind of cake.  This heaviness plays well with the sandwich idea that inspired the recipe, and even more so if you opt to generously  butter the sides of the pan like I did, to give it a crusty bread finish around the edges.  The buttercream frosting is so simple, not a single shortening, just buttercream like it was intended — butter, cocoa, sugar and vanilla — mixed with a heaving measure of Nutella.

Ingredients

         2 cups of unsalted butter, room temperature

         1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar

         4 teaspoons of vanilla extract

         Pinch of salt

         2 large eggs

         2 1/2 cup of all purpose flour

         1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

         1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

         1 cup of buttermilk

         Splash of whole milk

         4 cups of confection sugar

         1/2 cup of Dutch cocoa powder

         1/4 cup of Nutella

         4 tablespoons of heavy cream

        

        

Instructions

1  For the cake, pre-heat your oven to 350F, dust your pans with flour, line the base with parchment paper and butter the sides.

2  Beat the granulated sugar and 1 cup of butter until it is creamy, then add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and the eggs (the whole egg, not just the yolk), and mix until smooth.

3  In a dry bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together and then gradually add it to your butter blend, alternating between the buttermilk and dry mixture until you have a thick creamy batter. Add a splash of milk if your batter is too thick. And then transfer to your round baking pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until done. (note: I was not paying attention when I set my oven and ended up cooking them for 20 minutes on the convection setting).

4  Once done, allow them to cool on a cooking rack at room temperature, and then transfer to the fridge to chill for an hour before frosting the cake.

5  For the frosting, add the butter, confection sugar and coco powered and beat on low speed until creamy.Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and the cream, then turn up the speed and beat for a further 2 minutes. Once creamy, add the Nutella and beat for a further minute to ensure that everything is fully blended.

For more recipes and tips from Coryanne Ettiene, check out her site:  www.kitchenlivingwithCoryanne.com