Picture this – rich chocolate cake layers, crispy and crunchy hazelnut praline paste, and silky soft chocolate mousse, all covered with a crunchy chocolate shell. This dreamy dessert is the Ferrero Rocher Mousse Cake, a recipe that turns everyone’s favorite chocolate into a showstopping dessert that will make you everyone’s favorite person. Make this delicious dessert for your next event and impress your guests like never before.
Anyone who says they don’t like Ferrero Rocher is lying. What is not to like in Ferrero Rocher? It’s the perfect combination of chocolatey, crispy, crunchy, and soft. The chocolate and hazelnut flavor combo is a match made in heaven, and the contrast of textures makes this little ball absolutely perfect.
So imagine if we put all that perfection into a cake? Well, you don’t have to imagine cause I’ve already done it for you; you’re welcome 😏.
I don’t think you need any more convincing; let’s get into the cake.
Before we begin, a VERY important note – this cake can be made in any shape, size, or form. If you’re looking at the cake in the picture and thinking, “I definitely don’t have the right equipment to make this,” hear me out. You can make it in whatever pan you have.
I have used a pastry frame just cause I have it, and it looks pretty in photos, but the cake can be made as a regular round layer cake if you have round pans. If you want to make it easier, you can set the layers in a round or rectangular dish in trifle style. The dessert will taste equally delicious, and your life will be a lot easier.
I have given instructions on how to layer it in each way in the full recipe below so that you can follow the steps as per your method.
Now, let’s get into the recipe.
The Ferrero Rocher cake is made of 4 components – rich chocolate cake layers, crunchy chocolate hazelnut praline paste, and the hazelnut chocolate shell. Each component is simple to make and adds to that Ferrero Rocher flavor.
The Chocolate Cake
The chocolate cake makes the structure of this dessert and holds the mousse and praline paste in a place like bread in a sandwich, with one layer at the top and one at the bottom. I use my classic one-bowl chocolate cake recipe that makes rich, fudgy chocolate cake layers; you might have already seen it in my Chocolate Passionfruit Cake Recipe.
This is an easy, minimum equipment recipe that uses pantry ingredients and comes together in 15 minutes.
All you have to do is:
- Mix all the dry ingredients except for cocoa powder and coffee in a bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined.
- Bloom the cocoa powder and coffee in hot water, add it to the batter, and whisk until fully combined.
Blooming the cocoa powder: Blooming or activating cocoa powder refers to the process of mixing it with hot water to help release the chocolatey-ness and flavor of the powder.
Coffee: Using coffee in a chocolate cake recipe helps enhance the flavor of chocolate without adding any coffee flavor to it.
Once the cake batter is ready, you can bake it in your pan of choice and let it cool completely before assembling the dessert.
The Hazelnut Praline Paste
We all know that the hazelnut flavor is the star of the show in a Ferrero Rocher, so of course, we have to replicate it in this cake. The Hazelnut Praline Paste acts as the crunch layer of the dessert and brings in that roasted Hazelnut flavor.
You can think of it as Nutella, but a 100 times better.
A praline paste is a nut paste that’s made by cooking and blending together any nut with caramel; in this case, our nut of choice is hazelnut.
The chocolate hazelnut praline paste is made by making a hazelnut praline by cooking hazelnuts with sugar and water until they form a hard caramel hazelnut shard, then blending it until you have a thick, smooth paste.
Once the hazelnut praline is ready, mix melted chocolate into it to turn it into a chocolate hazelnut praline paste.
For the all-important crunch factor, the praline paste is mixed with crunchy wafers. I prefer using feuilletine wafers, but if you cannot find those, you can use chopped hazelnuts instead.
Here is the process for making the chocolate hazelnut praline paste.
- In a saucepan, add the caster sugar and water and let it cook for 3-5 minutes on med-low heat. Add the hazelnuts and start mixing with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Keep mixing until the sugar crystallizes, then melts again and forms a golden caramel around the hazelnuts.
- Transfer the caramelized hazelnuts to a baking sheet immediately and let them chill until set.
- Once set, blend the hazelnut praline paste. At first, the mixture will be powdery. As you blend, it will turn into a thick, grainy paste. Keep blending until you have a smooth, silky, praline paste.
- Mix the praline paste with melted chocolate, then add the crushed wafers or hazelnuts.
The praline paste can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
The dessert has two layers of hazelnut praline paste, one on top of the bottom layer of chocolate cake and the other on top of the chocolate mousse layer.
Note: You can use Nutella instead of making the praline paste from scratch. However, please keep in mind that the flavor will be significantly different. It is 100% worth making at home because the quality of the flavor is unmatched. So if you can, I highly recommend making it at home.
The Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate mousse is sandwiched between the two cake layers along with the crunchy hazelnut praline and brings that soft, creamy texture to the dessert.
This mousse is made with my simple, eggless, 4-ingredient chocolate mousse recipe, and honestly, it could not get any easier.
Here’s how to make the chocolate mousse.
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. I prefer using milk, but you can also use semi-sweet based on your preference. Make sure you are using high-quality chocolate, as the flavor makes ALL the difference. I recommend Lindt, Callebaut (45%) or Valhrona.
- Heat the whipping cream (heavy cream) and milk until they start simmering, then pour the mixture over the chocolate and let it sit until the chocolate melts. Mix together until fully combined, then immediately add the bloomed gelatin while the cream mixture is still hot so that the gelatin dissolves and mixes into it properly.
- Let the chocolate mixture cool; meanwhile, whip the remaining cream to medium peaks (not fully whipped). You want to avoid whipping it fully as it will be mixed further with the chocolate mixture, and you do not want to overwhip it.
- Pour and fold the chocolate mixture into the whipping cream gradually and gently using a silicone spatula. Make sure to do it gently so that you do not knock the air out of the mousse. The mousse should be light, fluffy, and creamy.
Once the mousse is ready, top it over the first layer of cake, which is covered in the hazelnut praline paste, then add the remaining praline paste on top of the mousse and spread it gently. It’s okay if the praline layer mixes with the mousse.
Top the mousse with the second chocolate cake layer, then let it set in the fridge for 3-6 hours, or ideally overnight.
Chocolate Hazelnut Shell
You know it can’t be Ferrero Rocher without the chocolate shell, so of course, this cake is topped with a crispy hazelnut chocolate shell that perfectly covers all the layers.
The shell is sweet and simple; it’s made with melted chocolate that’s mixed with neutral oil (to turn it into a crisp shell) and chopped hazelnuts.
If you are making this cake in a pastry frame or with round cake layers, you can pour the melted chocolate shell mixture on top and let it pour down the sides, then add more of the chocolate mix using a spatula to any parts that are not covered. The shell will set almost immediately as the cake will be cold.
If you are setting the dessert in a dish trifle style, you can pour the chocolate mix on top and spread it to form a thin layer.
Once the chocolate shell is set, the cake will be ready to serve.
Four easy components that can easily be made ahead, and this showstopper dessert will be ready to wow your friends and family.
Ready to make it? Let’s get started!
Ferrero Rocher Mousse Cake
Equipment
- Silicone spatula
- Hand whisk
- 9×7" pastry frame or rectangular glass dish for setting the dessert
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 125 ml full-fat milk + 1 tbsp vinger (or buttermilk)
- 120 gs all-purpose flour
- 100 gs white sugar
- 100 gs brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4th tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 60 ml neutral oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 125 ml boiling water
- 38 gs cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp coffee powder
Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Paste
- 67 gs caster sugar
- 20 gs water
- 100 gs roasted hazelnuts
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4th tsp salt
- 50 gs milk chocolate, melted
- 50 gs crushed wafers or chopped hazelnuts
Chocolate Mousse
- 5 gs gelatin powder
- 25 ml ice-cold water (for blooming gelatin)
- 70 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
- 70 ml full-fat milk
- 200 gs milk or semi-sweet chocolate
- 225 ml whipping cream
Hazelnut Chocolate Shell
- 200 gs milk or semi-sweet chocolate, melted
- 20 ml neutral oil
- 60 gs hazelnuts, chopped
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare the cake pans with butter and flour to ensure the cake does not stick while baking and comes out easily.
- Make the buttermilk: Add vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.125 ml full-fat milk + 1 tbsp vinger (or buttermilk)
- Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt using a hand whisk.120 gs all-purpose flour, 100 gs white sugar, 100 gs brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4th tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla essence in the same bowl, and mix on medium speed using an electric or stand mixer until everything is well combined. You will have a thick batter at this point.1 egg, 60 ml neutral oil, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Mix the cocoa powder and coffee in hot water until fully combined. With the mixer on low, pour the mixture into the batter and keep mixing until the water is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 20-30 mins or until a test toothpick comes out clean from the center. Once cooled, slice the cake layer horizontally into two equal layers.125 ml boiling water, 38 gs cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp coffee powder
Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Paste
- In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook on medium heat until it reaches 110℃ (or 3-5 mins). Add the hazelnuts, vanilla, and salt, and start mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon. The sugar will crystalize at first, then slowly start melting to form a caramel. Once the sugar melts completely and the hazelnuts are covered with caramel, stop mixing and immediately pour the praline onto a baking pan. Let it cool until fully set.67 gs caster sugar, 20 gs water, 100 gs roasted hazelnuts, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4th tsp salt
- Once set, blend the praline shards to make a praline paste. At first, it will form a praline powder, then turn into a thick, grainy paste. Keep blending until the praline is smooth and shiny with no grains or lumps.
- Mix the melted chocolate and crushed wafers (or chopped hazelnuts) into the praline paste until fully combined.50 gs milk chocolate, melted, 50 gs crushed wafers or chopped hazelnuts
Chocolate Mousse
- Bloom the gelatin – pour ice-cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder over it. Immediately mix the water until the gelatin water is dissolved, then let it set in the fridge for 15 minutes.5 gs gelatin powder, 25 ml ice-cold water (for blooming gelatin)
- In a heat-proof bowl, add the chocolate. Add the milk and whipping cream to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s hot, pour the milk mixture on the chocolate, let it sit for a minute until the chocolate melts, then whisk together until the chocolate is properly incorporated into the milk mixture.70 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream, 70 ml full-fat milk, 200 gs milk or semi-sweet chocolate
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is fully melted and incorporated into the milk mixture. Make sure your mixture is still hot, or the gelatin will not melt properly. Set it aside until it cools down to room temperature. In a separate bowl, add the remaining liquid whipping cream and whip it with a hand or electric mixer until it reaches medium peaks.225 ml whipping cream
- Once the milk mixture has reached room temperature, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while folding the mixture gently with a silicon spatula. Do this gently so that the mixture remains light and fluffy.
- Assembly: In your dish or frame of choice, place one chocolate cake layer at the bottom, spread a thin layer of the hazelnut praline paste, and top it with a thick layer of the mousse. Top it with the remaining praline paste and swirl it into the mousse, then place the second cake layer on top. Let the dessert chill in the fridge (if using a serving dish) or freezer (if using a frame or any pan which needs to be unmoulded) for 3-6 hours or overnight. If you are making this dessert in a round layered cake style, you can follow the same steps.
- Prepare the chocolate shell: In a bowl, mix the melted chocolate with the oil and chopped hazelnuts until combined. Once the dessert is set, pour the chocolate on top and let it pour down the sides, covering all the open spots using an offset spatula. If you are setting this trifle style, pour the praline paste on top and spread a thin layer. Let it cool until the shell is completely set, then serve.200 gs milk or semi-sweet chocolate, melted, 20 ml neutral oil, 60 gs hazelnuts, chopped
Notes
- The hazelnut praline paste can be made ahead and stored for up to a week in an airtight container.
- The chocolate cake can be made ahead the day before assembly.
Although it’s a little more on the fancier side, this dessert looks a LOT harder than it actually is. So add it to your list of showstopper desserts for your next event, and thank me later!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments, and of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Tell me what showstopper dessert you would like to see next in the comment section!
Until next time.
