Its celebration time… My blog turns 1 today…!! Wooohoooo……

That was pretty fast, it’s still unbelievable how a year went by. I still remember the many “firsts” during my blog journey, all as if they happened just yesterday; right from my blog going live, the first comment I received (I screamed with joy that day), being able to view my recipe in google search, Facebook, FoodGawker, Instagram and so on… Everything felt so special! Those were some of the best days of my life and I thank you everyone for your wonderful support! You guys are awesome, my inspiration to keep going with Pepper Delight and bring out the best of me…

As part of my blog’s anniversary celebrations, watch out for my “Behind the scenes” and “1 year as a blogger” posts to know all about my experiences and the fun I’ve had over the year. But for now, let’s celebrate with this beautiful cake which I have been planning for a long time, my chocolate hazelnut semi naked cake with chocolate ganache!

Semi-naked/Naked cake is one of the most preferred styles especially for celebrations, apart from the usual fondant cakes. These cakes are simple to bake and also have a finished surface but with a casual look unlike the fully frosted ones. Their highlight is being able to view the different cake layers through the finished cake, beautifully stacked on top of each other with the rich frosting in-between. And finishing off with the right ganache or toppings makes it even more elegant and party perfect! This is my first attempt with a semi naked style cake and, Boy am I happy with the outcome; It was damn delicious!!!

Mastering the art of baking a semi naked cake is quite easy as long as you keep an eye on the details. Here are a few valuable tips from my kitchen:

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

This is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. They are moist inside, and the layered frosting makes it so rich with flavour. The dark chocolate ganache levels out the sweetness of the frosting and balances well with the chocolate cake and hazelnut flavour. And the crunchy Ferrero Rocher makes it perfect for any party/celebrations or even as your dessert.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

Don’t forget to check out my other Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Hazelnut frosting in a semi naked style, topped with crunchy Ferrero Rocher and a dark chocolate ganache dripping around the edges.  

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, hazelnut cake, naked cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For three 6 inch chocolate cakes

• 1½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• 3 tsp milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• 4 oz mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
• 1¼ stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
• 1-3 tbsp milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

Decorations

• Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Instructions

For making chocolate cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F. 
• Line three 6 inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined. 
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and milk. 
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well. 
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• Beat butter until smooth and creamy. 
• Add the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese and hazelnut spread, beat until it turns out smooth and creamy.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure that the frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken. 

Chocolate Ganache

• Break the chocolate into small pieces and combine with heavy cream.
•  Temper the chocolate mix by either setting the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or microwave at a 30 second interval and stirring continuously until it completely melts. 
• Ensure not to overheat or burn the mix as it will split and become unusable. Once melted, keep stirring to bring its temperature down until smooth and silky.

Final Assembly of the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand. 
• Apply little frosting on the center of the base and spread. This helps the cake to stick and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a generous amount of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake with a ¾ to 1 inch thickness.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides. Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and using a spatula spread the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake. 
• Now apply a very thin layer of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper to create the semi naked effect. Finish with a small coating on top. 
• Refrigerate it for 30 minutes to set properly. 
• Pour the ganache over the chilled frosted cake. Quickly spread the ganache to the sides to create a polish finish on the top and to create the drip effect. Avoid further spreading.
• Decorate with Ferrero Rocher.

Notes

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

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