Mom's Favorite Chocolate Nutella Cake & Special Slice

Directions

Chocolate Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F Convection or 350F Standard. Spray 3 8 or 9 inch pans with baking spray (non-stick spray with flour) or regular non-stick spray and parchment rounds.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, and vanilla, then add the sour cream and buttermilk and whisk again. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together (will be thick). Finally add the hot coffee and whisk well to combine.

3. Pour into prepared pans and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before continuing with recipe.

Nutella Buttercream Instructions:

1. In a large stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter on med-high until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, mix on low, then med-high for 2 mins.

2. Remove about 2/3 of the buttercream and mix with 1 cup of Nutella to make Nutella buttercream. Taste, add more Nutella if desired.

ASSEMBLE & DECORATE

1. Crumb coat your cake using chilled cake layers (either well-chilled in the fridge or frozen). Begin with 1 layer of cake, then nutella buttercream, then Nutella filling (I use a piping bag to pipe a swirl in between each layer). Repeat with second layer of cake, buttercream & filling. If layers start to slide, refrigerate immediately before continuing.

2. Once all three layers have been stacked, crumb coat your cake and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

3. Mix your remaining vanilla buttercream into whatever three colors you would like to use for the Ombre effect on the outside. Pipe in stripes onto the outside of your cake, blend with an offset spatula, then smooth. Chill your cake again.

4. Next prepare your floral piping tips for "mom's slice." I used the following piping tips: Piping tips K45 (purple) T17 (white border), K01 (white writing), K23 (green leaves), K26 (blue) K16 (yellow), S2 Russian tip (pink).

5. Once your cake has been chilled, mark out your triangle slice on top and on the sides of the cake with your smoother. Start adding your floral elements. I started with small rosettes, then hydrangeas and drop flowers. Finally, add leaves and "mom's slice" and an arrow on top.

6. Finally, share with mom & celebrate!