Easy Decadent Nutella Crunch Cake Cookies And Cups

Looking for more poke-cake-style desserts? Try this Coconut Poke Cake or this Chocolate Poke Cake next!

Nutella Cake With a Crunchy Hazelnut Topping

I don’t know about you, but we never get tired of cake around here. Or Nutella, for that matter. Which is why today I’m sharing a sheet cake recipe that combines both of these things into slices of pure chocolate hazelnut bliss.

Nutella Cake With a Crunchy Hazelnut Topping Why This Nutella Cake Recipe WorksWhat You’ll NeedHow to Make Nutella Crunch CakeTips for SuccessServing Suggestions How to Store Extra CakeCan I Freeze This Crunch Cake?More Easy Nutella DessertsGet the Recipe

It’s no secret that a sheet cake is one of my favorite things to bake. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day for frosting and stacking layers, while praying that the top layer isn’t crooked. A sheet cake is forgiving. It’s cake in its simplest form: fuss-free, one-tier, and ultra-delicious! This Nutella cake recipe transforms your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix into a ridiculously moist and rich dessert. Oh and did I mention the easy, irresistible hazelnut crunch topping that you’ll be tempted to eat before it even touches the cake? Just making sure!

Why This Nutella Cake Recipe Works

I could talk about how much I love this Nutella crunch cake for hours! For today, though, here’s a brief overview:

Perfect texture. Every bite of moist, fudgy chocolate cake paired with the crispy, crunchy hazelnut topping is heavenly. You won’t be able to get enough! Quick and easy. You can prep this cake in 20 minutes, and have it out of the oven in under an hour. It won’t take you long at all. Nutella! I mean, who doesn’t love Nutella? Personally, I could eat it right out of the jar. But, it’s in every aspect of this cake too, so that’s even better!

What You’ll Need

Alright, let’s round up what we’ll need to make this Nutella cake happen! If you’re looking for precise quantities for each ingredient, check out the recipe card below.

For the Cake

Chocolate Cake Mix: I doctor up a classic chocolate box cake mix with a few extra additions to really kick the taste and texture of this sheet cake up a notch. Egg: Adding in an extra egg to the box cake mix helps it set up nicely and hold its shape. Water: To add extra moisture to the cake batter. Instant Chocolate Pudding: Chocolate pudding brings an insane amount of moisture to the cake mix for a dense, fudgy texture that stays soft after baking. Nutella: The feature ingredient in this recipe! You’ll need Nutella for the cake and the crunch, as well as for the sweet topping that gets poured over the cake. Of course, you don’t need to use the brand Nutella specifically – you can use your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread, too.

For the Topping

Nutella & Condensed Milk: Use the sweetened kind of condensed milk, to be combined with Nutella and poured over the top of the baked cake.

For the Crunch

Hazelnuts: Chopped raw hazelnuts really bring out the sweet nutty crunch in the cereal layer. You’ll be roasting them in the oven to get the flavors nice and toasty. Use either salted or unsalted depending on preference. Nutella & Chocolate: Chopped semi sweet chocolate is melted together with butter and Nutella in a chocolatey coating for the crunch layer. Butter: Unsalted and salted butter both work here. Rice Krispie Cereal: Crispy rice cereal is the base for the Nutella “crunch” topping.

How to Make Nutella Crunch Cake

Thanks to the chocolate cake mix, this Nutella crunch cake is almost IMPOSSIBLE to mess up. The cake is baked and then covered in a silky condensed milk topping, followed by a layer of sweet Nutella crunch. All the layers are super easy to make! Here’s how to do it (note that you’ll find the full set of directions in the recipe card):

Make the crunch. Start by lightly toasting hazelnuts. While they’re cooling down, melt your chocolate and butter, and stir in the Nutella. Toss in your toasted hazelnuts and Rice Krispie cereal to coat. Spread the crunch out on a lined baking sheet and place this in the freezer to set.

Make the cake. Mix up your cake mix according to the package instructions. Stir in the pudding mix and additional cake ingredients, then pour the batter into a pan and bake until it’s set (about 30 minutes). Add the topping. Once the cake is done, you’ll poke holes all over the top while it’s still warm. Heat up a simple mixture of sweetened condensed milk and Nutella, and then pour this over the cake. Add the crunch. Give the topping a few minutes to cool, then sprinkle your Nutella crunch mix evenly over the top of the cake. Pop the whole thing in the fridge and let all the flavors marinate in their Nutella-ness for at least an hour.

Then Serve! And I’m not going to discourage a test slice. Go ahead. No one at the party will mind if the sheet cake has a piece missing. Right?

Tips for Success

Not too bad, right? Here are some tips for Nutella crunch cake that will make the baking process even easier:

Use room temperature ingredients. Bringing your butter and egg to room temperature before you start will help them combine more thoroughly in the batter. Don’t over-mix the cake batter. Make sure to only mix the cake batter and add-ins until they’re just combined. This will keep the final baked cake soft and tender, and not tough or chewy. Make the crunch ahead. You can actually make the crunch way in advance, which will cut down on the time you spend putting the rest of the cake together. Just keep it in the freezer and then let it thaw out a little in the fridge while the cake is baking.

Serving Suggestions

This Nutella crunch cake is fabulous served on its own, but there’s always room for toppings. I love to enjoy my slices topped with a dollop of whipped cream. It also tastes extra indulgent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or raspberry sorbet! Here are some other ideas to inspire you:

Add berries. Another way to serve it is to top your cake slices with fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.). Add other fruit. You can even top your Nutella cake with banana slices for a banana nut crunch cake! Pour on some chocolate or caramel sauce. Of course, you can always give your cake a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce for good measure. Try this Quick and Easy Caramel Sauce, or go all out with my homemade Nutella Hot Fudge Sauce!

How to Store Extra Cake

This cake will keep for up to 3 days when stored airtight in the refrigerator. After that the Rice Krispie topping loses its crunch! Also, I like to let the slices sit out at room temperature for a bit before I serve them.

Can I Freeze This Crunch Cake?

You can definitely freeze this sheet cake, although I’d recommend freezing the baked cake before you add the condensed milk and crunch topping. This is because the crispy rice cereal tends to get mushy after it’s thawed. Once the Nutella cake has cooled completely, store it tightly wrapped or in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature before you add the condensed milk topping, followed by the nutella crunch.