When I say I am excited to share this recipe with you, it is complete understatement because it is going to rock your world. This keke (cake) is jammed packed with creamy chocolate and hazelnut goodness. It is pure deliciousness made with your own hands so let's make it together.
This tohutao (recipe) has been swirling around in my brain for such a long time now. So, it is such an awesome feeling to see it come to life and to know that you can now all make and share it. Let me know if you love this keke (cake) as much as I do!
Are you gluten-free?
Kāore he raru - no worries because I have you covered. Check out my Gluten-free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, made with you in mind. You can also cover this keke (cake) in my dairy-free chocolate frosting and make this a dairy-free and gluten-free keke (cake).
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Ingredient Tips for the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake:
- Vinegar: I add vinegar to milk to make buttermilk in this recipe. Any vinegar will do but lemon juice works as well. If you want to replace homemade buttermilk with the store bought version, go for it!
- Cocoa: I prefer to use dutch cocoa in all of my cakes but this can be expensive so use what you have.
- Coffee powder: This helps lift the flavour of the cocoa in the cake. Use caffeinated or decaf, it really doesn't matter which one.
- Oil: I use a neutral flavoured olive oil in this cake but again, use what you have. As long as it is neutral flavoured, it will work.
- Hazelnuts: I have given you options to keep the hānati (hazelnuts) raw or toast them for a deeper flavour in the keke (cake). You choose which vibe you are going for.
- Dark chocolate: I like the richness that dark chocolate brings to this buttercream but you can use any chocolate you like.
Expert Tips:
Bake the cake gently on 150 degrees celsius, this gentle heat creates an even bake of the cakes with no doming. This means the keke (cakes) do not need to be trimmed after baking.
If your oven naturally runs hot or only has a fan bake setting, turn the oven down by 20 degrees.
These keke (cakes) can be made ahead of time and develop a delicious flavour this way: Up to 3 days before decorating, bake the cakes and allow them to completely cool. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and store for a few days in a sealed container, in a cool cupboard.
I always use two cake tins when I am baking a layered cake, this helps bake the cakes evenly and also cuts down on baking time.
If you want to inject even more moisture into the keke (cake) then poke holes in to the freshly baked cakes with a chopstick. Then add 4 tablespoons of the juice from the canned poihanapere (boysenberries) on to each one.
When decorating this cake, use my decorations as a guide but use whatever makes you happy. Decorating is all about experimenting and just giving it a go. Whatever you do, it will taste delicious.
Step by step instructions for the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Toast the Hazlenuts (Optional):
If you want a more pronounced hānati (hazelnut) flavour in this keke (cake), toast the hānati (hazelnuts) before making the batter.
Add the whole nuts in to a dry frying pan and over medium heat, toast the nuts until fragrant. Once they are toasted, add them to a tea towel and rub off the skins. Then allow them to cool as you make the cake batter.
2. Preheat the Oven:
Grease and line 2 x 19 cm or 20 cm cake tins with baking paper on the base and sides.
Preheat the oven to 150 °C, bake setting.
3. Make the Buttermilk:
Combine the miraka (milk) and winika (vinegar) in a glass. Stir to create a simple buttermilk and leave it to the side.
Note: This can be swapped for the same amount of buttermilk if you want, without the vinegar added of course.
4. Make the Cocoa Mixture:
To a jug or medium bowl, add the kōkō (cocoa), huka hāura (brown sugar), tote (salt) and paura kawhe (coffee powder). Whakawhenumia (combine it together).
Boil the jug and pour the wai wera (hot water) in to the cocoa mix. Kaurorihia (stir it). When the ranunga kōkō (cocoa mixture) is smooth and free of lumps, pour in the miraka pata (buttermilk) and stir it in. Leave it to the side.
5. Whip the Eggs:
In to a large bowl, add the hēki (eggs), huka one (caster sugar) and wanira (vanilla). Using a whisk, whip for a minute or so until smooth.
Slowly drizzle in the noni (oil) as you whisk it in to a smooth batter.
Continue whisking as you pour in the cocoa mixture until it is all incorporated.
6. Prepare the Hazelnuts:
Add the hānati (hazelnuts) in to a blender or food processor and turn them in to a crumb. Be careful not to take them too far as they will start to turn in to hazelnut butter so just pulse them until a crumb forms. Reference the video for a visual cue.
7. Mix in the Dry Ingredients:
Add the kongakonga hānati (hazelnut crumb) in to the egg and cocoa mixture along with puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
Whisk it all together for a minute or so until the batter is smooth.
8. Bake the Cakes:
Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared cake tins and then smooth it out.
Bake for 35 minutes or until they spring back in the centre when pressed
9. Add the Boysenberry Syrup (Optional):
Once the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven and poke holes all over them with a chopstick. Then drizzle 4 tablespoons of the juice from the canned poihanapere (boysenberries) on to each cake.
Allow them to cool in the tin to soak up the juices for 10 minutes and then flip the cakes on to a cooling rack to completely cool.
10. Cool the Cakes:
If you are not using the syrup, remove the cakes from the oven and flip them straight on to a cooling rack. This helps them stay flat so you don't have to trim them.
Leave the baking paper on the cakes until you are ready to decorate them. Allow them to completely cool before decorating.
11. Melt the Chocolate for the Buttercream:
Chop the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) roughly in to chunks. Add the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) or miraka (milk) to a bowl.
Gently melt it in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring well between each time. You can also melt it gently in a heat-proof bowl that is sitting over a pot of barely simmering water (around 3cm deep). Once it is smooth and melted, remove from the heat and leave the tiakarete (chocolate) to cool for 5 minutes.
12. Whip the Butter and Sugar:
Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) to a large bowl. Tāwhiuwhiua (whip it) for around 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy in colour and texture.
Add the kōkō (cocoa) and whip it for 30 seconds, until it is all incorporated.
13. Whip in the Chocolate:
Add the warm chocolate mixture, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture as you whip continuously.
Once it is all incorporated, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly and then it is ready to use.
14. Decorate the First Cake with Buttercream:
Add around ⅓ C of the pani reka (buttercream and spread it over the top of the keke (cake).
Once it is smooth, pipe a border around the edge. If you don't have a piping bag, just add small blobs of buttercream around the edge of the cake and use a spoon to create a border. This helps keep the filling in.
Add the pata hānati tiakarete (chocolate hazelnut spread) and spread it out to the edges of the border.
15. Add the Boysenberries:
Drain the juice off the poihanapere (boysenberries) and add the berries on to the pata hānati tiakarete (chocolate hazelnut spread). I use around ¾ C of berries.
16. Decorate the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake:
Add the second keke (cake) on top and press it down gently.
Continue to spread the pani reka (buttercream) on top of the keke (cake) and down the sides. Make sure to take the time to smooth it out.
Reserve ¼ C of the buttercream to pipe on top as anchors for the Forerro Rocher.
17. Add the Forerro Rocher:
Place 8 whole Forerro Rocher around the edge of the cake on top of the piped buttercream. Cut the rest in half and add them in between the whole ones.
18. Sprinkle over Hazelnut Crumb (Optional):
As an option, sprinkle a handful of extra kongakonga hānati (hazelnut crumb) around the edge of the cake.
Kua rite te keke - the cake is ready!
Storing the Cake:
Store this keke (cake) in a sealed container in a cool place. It will develop in flavour as it sits and in my opinion is even better a few days after it is baked.
It will keep well for up 5 days.
In the hotter months you can store the decorated and uncut cake it in the refrigerator but bring it room temperature before eating.
Once it is cut, don't keep it in the fridge as the cake will dry out.
Take a look at these
Keke (Cake) Recipes
There is a recipe for every occasion so what will you bake today?
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake - Keke Tiakarete Hānati
Equipment
- 2 x 19 cm or 20 cm spring-form cake tins
Ingredients
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake - Keke Hānati Tiakarete
- ¾ C (185 ml) miraka (milk)
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) winika (vinegar) or wai rēmana (lemon juice)
- 1 C (100 g) kōkō (cocoa, dutch is best)
- ½ C (100 g) huka hāura (brown sugar, tightly packed)
- ½ teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
- ½ tablespoon paura kawhe (coffee powder, instant)
- 1 C (250 ml) wai wera (hot water, boiled)
- 3 hēki (eggs, size 6)
- 1 C (220 g) huka one (caster sugar)
- ½ tablespoon wanira (vanilla)
- ½ C (125 ml) noni (oil, neutral oil, I use olive oil but use what you have)
- 1 C (150 g) hānati (hazelnuts, whole and raw)
- 1 ¼ C (185 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon pēkana paura (baking powder)
- 1 teaspoon pēkana houra (baking soda)
Chocolate Buttercream - Pani Reka Tiakarete
- 150 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate, 50%)
- 3 tablespoon kirīmi, miraka rānei (cream or milk)
- 180 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ⅔ C (110 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 teaspoon wanira (vanilla)
- ¼ C (25 g) kōkō (cocoa, dutch is best)
The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei
- ⅔ C (190 g) pata hānati tiakarete (chocolate hazelnut spread). I used a good quality one but use what you prefer.
- 425 g kēna poihanapere (can of boysenberries, in syrup)
- 12 Forerro Rocher chocolates
Instructions
Toast the Hazlenuts (Optional):
- Note: If you want a more pronounced hānati (hazelnut) flavour in this keke (cake), toast the hānati (hazelnuts) before making the batter.
- Add the whole nuts in to a dry frying pan and over medium heat, toast the nuts until fragrant. Once they are toasted, add them to a tea towel and rub off the skins. Allow them to cool as you make the cake batter.
Preheat the Oven:
- Grease and line 2 x 19 cm or 20 cm cake tins with baking paper on the base and sides.
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C, bake setting.
Make the Buttermilk:
- Combine the miraka (milk) and winika (vinegar) in a glass. Stir to create a simple buttermilk. Leave to the side. Note: This can be swapped for the same amount of buttermilk if you want, without the vinegar added of course.
Make the Cocoa Mixture:
- To a jug or medium bowl, add the kōkō (cocoa), huka hāura (brown sugar), tote (salt) and paura kawhe (coffee powder). Whakawhenumia (combine it together).
- Boil the jug and pour the wai wera (hot water) in to the cocoa mix. Kaurorihia (stir it). Once the ranunga kōkō (cocoa mixture) is smooth and free of lumps, pour in the miraka pata (buttermilk) and stir it in. Leave to the side.
Whip the Eggs:
- In to a large bowl, add the hēki (eggs), huka one (caster sugar) and wanira (vanilla). Using a whisk, whip for a minute or so until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle in the noni (oil) as you whisk it in to a smooth batter.
- Continue whisking as you pour in the cocoa mixture.
Prepare the Hazelnuts:
- Add the hānati (hazelnuts) in to a blender or food processor and turn them in to a crumb. Be careful not to take them too far as they will start to turn in to hazelnut butter so just pulse them until a crumb forms. Reference the video for a visual cue.
Mix in the Dry Ingredients:
- Add the kongakonga hānati (hazelnut crumb) in to the egg and cocoa mixture along with puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
- Whisk it all together for a minute or so until the batter is smooth.
Bake the Cakes:
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared cake tins and then smooth it out.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until they spring back in the centre when pressed
Add the Boysenberry Syrup (Optional):
- Note: If you want to inject even more moisture into the keke (cake). Once the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven and poke holes all over them with a chopstick. Then drizzle 4 tablespoons of the juice from the canned poihanapere (boysenberries) on to each cake.
- Allow to cool in the tin to soak up the juices for 10 minutes and then flip the cakes on to a cooling rack to completely cool.
Cool the Cakes:
- If you are not using the syrup, remove the cakes from the oven and flip them straight on to a cooling rack. This helps them stay flat so you don't have to trim them.
- Leave the baking paper on the cakes until you are ready to decorate them. Allow them to completely cool before decorating.
Melt the Chocolate for the Buttercream:
- Chop the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) roughly in to chunks. Add the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) or miraka (milk) to a bowl.
- Gently melt it in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring well between each time. This should take a minute or just over. You can also melt it gently in a heat-proof bowl that is sitting over a pot of barely simmering water (around 3cm deep). Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Stir it occasionally until it is melted.
- Once smooth and melted, remove from the heat and leave the tiakarete (chocolate) to cool for 5 minutes.
Whip the Butter and Sugar:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) to a large bowl. Tāwhiuwhiua (whip it) for around 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy in colour and texture.
- Add the kōkō (cocoa) and whip it for 30 seconds.
Whip in the Chocolate:
- Drizzle in the warm chocolate mixture, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture as you whip continuously.
- Once it is all incorporated, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly and then it is ready to use.
Decorate the First Cake with Buttercream:
- Add around ⅓ C of the pani reka (buttercream and spread it over the top of the keke (cake).
- Once it is smooth, pipe a border around the edge. If you don't have a piping bag, just add small blobs of buttercream around the edge of the cake and use a spoon to create a border. This helps keep the filling in.
- Add the pata hānati tiakarete (chocolate hazelnut spread) and spread it out to the edges of the border.
Add the Boysenberries:
- Drain the juice off the poihanapere (boysenberries) and add the berries on to the pata hānati tiakarete (chocolate hazelnut spread). I use around ¾ C of berries.
Decorate the top of the Cake:
- Add the second keke (cake) on top and press it down gently.
- Continue to spread the pani reka (buttercream) on top of the keke (cake) and down the sides. Make sure to take the time to smooth it out.
- Reserve ¼ C of the buttercream to pipe on top as anchors for the Forerro Rocher.
Add the Forerro Rocher:
- Place 8 whole Forerro Rocher around the edge of the cake on top of the piped buttercream. Cut the rest in half and add them in between the whole ones.
Sprinkle over Hazelnut Crumb (Optional):
- As an option, sprinkle a handful of extra kongakonga hānati (hazelnut crumb) around the edge of the cake.
- Kua rite te keke - the cake is ready!
Storing the Cake:
- Store this keke (cake) in a sealed container in a cool place. It will develop in flavour as it sits and in my opinion is even better a few days after it is baked. It will keep well for up 5 days.
- In the hotter months you can store the decorated and uncut cake it in the refrigerator but bring it room temperature before eating. Once it is cut, don't keep it in the fridge as the cake will dry out.
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