Chocolate ring cake with hazelnut cream
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 50 min
- Serving: 10
- Cost: Very low
- Note + the cooling of the preparations
PRESENTATION
Ciambella al cioccolato con crema alla nocciola—the name alone sounds delicious, right?—is what folks in Piemonte would call comfort food done right. I mean, this Italian chocolate hazelnut cake mixes the deep, moist texture of chocolate with that super rich, nutty flavor from real Piedmontese hazelnuts. Really amazing stuff. The center? Oh, it’s filled with smooth hazelnut cream, and then the whole thing gets topped with a creamy glaze, crunchy hazelnut bits, and dark chocolate curls. Seriously good.
And the smell when you slice it—sweet and a little toasty—just sets the mood for any celebration. You’ll notice the shape right away. It’s that classic ring style typical for a chocolate hazelnut bundt cake, which always looks great on a dessert table. People in Northern Italy, especially around Piemonte, love this combo, and you can really really taste why. There’s something about the tender crumb and the mix of chocolate with hazelnut that just works, whether it’s for a fancy get-together or just a regular afternoon snack.
Some folks say this is the ultimate gianduja cake, and to be honest, it’s tough to argue. The whole idea comes from that tradition of mixing top-notch chocolate and hazelnuts, just like those famous spreads and candies from the region. In Piemonte, you’ll spot this kind of cake at birthdays, anniversaries, and even during laid-back weekends when people want something a bit special for merenda. Pretty much sums it up.
The glaze on top isn’t just for looks—it’s silky and adds a nice creamy touch that makes each bite feel extra nice. The bits of hazelnut give a little crunch, and the dark chocolate curls bring in a rich finish. Honestly, every slice of this hazelnut chocolate cake recipe feels like you’re getting a taste of real, old-school Italian baking. Even if you’re just grabbing a piece to go with coffee, it brings a slice of Piemonte’s best right to your plate.
It’s easy to see why these traditional Italian desserts never go out of style, offering a flavorful experience that's hard to forget. For sure.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the batter (for a 10-inch diameter mold)
- Type 00 flour 1 ½ cup (180 g)
- Nut flour 0.4 cup (45 g)
- Eggs 8.1 oz (230 g) - (about 5)
- Butter 13 ½ tbsp (190 g) - at room temperature
- Sugar 0.85 cup (170 g)
- Fresh liquid cream 0.67 cup (150 g)
- Dark chocolate 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Brown sugar ⅓ cup (70 g)
- Baking powder 1 ½ tsp (7 g)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder 5.3 tbsp (40 g)
- For the hazelnut cream
- Whole milk 2.1 cups (500 ml)
- Fresh liquid cream 0.8 cup (200 ml)
- Hazelnut paste ¾ cup (180 g)
- Sugar 0.67 cup (125 g)
- Cornstarch 6 tbsp (50 g)
- Egg yolks 4
- Gelatin in sheets 0.25 oz (6 g)
- For decoration
- Fresh liquid cream ¾ cup (200 ml)
- Dark chocolate to taste
- Chopped hazelnuts to taste
How to prepare Chocolate ring cake with hazelnut cream
To prepare the chocolate ring cake with hazelnut cream, start with the cake batter: coarsely chop the dark chocolate 1 and melt it in a double boiler or microwave. Once melted, add the previously heated cream 2, stir 3, and let it cool down.
In the meantime, place the softened butter at room temperature in the bowl of a stand mixer (if you don't have a stand mixer, you can use an electric mixer), mount the beaters and start working it into a cream. Add the granulated sugar 4 and once it is incorporated, add the brown sugar 5; once the mixture is well whipped, also pour in the hazelnut flour in a shower-like manner 6.
At this point, you can add the eggs one at a time to the batter 7 and once they are incorporated, slowly pour in the cream and melted chocolate mixture 8. In a bowl, sift together the unsweetened cocoa, flour, and baking powder 9.
Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with a spoon 10. When the batter is homogeneous and creamy, stop the mixer: butter and flour a 10-inch diameter ring mold and pour the batter inside, leveling it with a spatula to distribute it evenly 11. Bake the ring cake in a static preheated oven at 356°F for 50 minutes (320°F for 40 minutes if ventilated). If the cake tends to darken too much, after half an hour of baking you can cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking for the remaining time. Once baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly, then gently turn it out onto a rack to cool completely 12.
Work on the hazelnut cream for the filling: soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl with cold water for at least 10 minutes 13. In the meantime, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, off the heat, pour the yolks and sugar 14, work them with the whisk until you get a homogeneous and fluid mixture 15.
Add the sifted cornstarch 16, mix again with the whisk, then slowly pour in the milk 17 and the hazelnut paste (not a spreadable cream but obtained from refining hazelnuts) 18.
Finally, pour the liquid cream 19 and mix well. Turn on medium heat to gently cook the cream: continue stirring with a whisk until it thickens 20. At this point, add the drained and well-squeezed gelatin sheets 21 and stir to dissolve them completely.
Transfer the cream to a wide, shallow bowl to cool the cream faster. Cover it with cling film touching the surface 22 (to speed up the cooling process if you don't have a home blast chiller, place the bowl with the cream in a larger bowl filled with ice so that it cools quickly while maintaining its consistency); then place it in a piping bag with a rather large plain nozzle 23; you can store the cream in the fridge until ready to use. When the ring cake is cold, cut it in half 24.
Place the base of the ring cake on a serving plate and fill with the hazelnut cream 25, then close with the other half of the ring cake 26. Now focus on the glaze: transfer the remaining hazelnut cream to a bowl and dilute it with fresh liquid cream 27;
work the mixture with the whisk to make it soft like a glaze 28. Distribute it over the ring cake with a spoon, creating dramatic drips (29-30).
To decorate, you can create chocolate curls by shaving a block of dark chocolate with a vegetable peeler 31. Then distribute the hazelnut crumbles over the ring cake 32 and the chocolate curls. Your chocolate ring cake with hazelnut cream is ready to be enjoyed 33!