Chocolate-Hazelnut Bacon Layer Cake

Reimagine a classic pair -- chocolate and hazelnut -- by adding bacon to this decadent layer cake.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Bacon Layer Cake
Photo: Karla Conrad
Prep Time:
45 mins
Bake Time:
30 mins
Cool Time:
1 hrs
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
16

Ingredients

  • Unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup sugar

  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 eggs

  • ¾ cup water

  • ¾ cup buttermilk or sour milk*

  • cup vegetable oil

  • 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

  • ½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, warmed

  • cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

  • 1 recipe Ganache

Ganache

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • 6 ounce semisweet chocolate pieces

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder; set aside. In a large bowl stir together the next six ingredients (through salt). Whisk together eggs, water, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once; whisk until smooth. Stir in half of the bacon. Pour batter into pans (batter will be thin).

  2. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans; cool on wire racks.

  3. For filling, in a bowl combine chocolate-hazelnut spread, the remaining bacon, and the hazelnuts.

  4. Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread with filling. Add remaining cake layer. Spread top with Ganache, allowing it to drip down sides of cake. If desired, top with additional crumbled, cooked bacon and chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Ganache

  1. In a small saucepan heat heavy cream just until simmering. Pour over chocolate pieces (do not stir). Let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool for 15 minutes or until desired consistency.

*Tip

To make 3/4 cup sour milk, place 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup; stir. Let stand 5 minutes before using.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

301 Calories
18g Fat
34g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 16
Calories 301
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 39mg 13%
Sodium 262mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0.4mg 2%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 191mg 4%
Folate, total 22.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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