Chocotella Cake: Brownie and Hazelnut Mousse (Nutella)

This cake is dedicated to all the sweet tooths out there.

Like my boyfriend, who says he gained weight when he met me. So not true.

And for the No.1 sweet tooth in the family, I made this cake. He always asks me to make brownies, and as his birthday was coming I wanted to make something like a Brownie Cake, brownie with dulce de leche and Italian meringue on top.

But since I am not a lover of that kind of meringue I thought making dry meringue, with cocoa.

About the filling, I was not convinced with dulce de leche, too dry together with the brownie, hard to swallow. Another possibility was whipped cream.

But, again, not convinced.
Suddenly I remembered the famous hazelnut and chocolate spread. Nutella.So good! Totally addictive.

The cake was going: brownie, Nutella mousse and above, cocoa meringue with cacao nibs, for a crunchiness.
I know I am always with the nibs, I put in everything... but I have a big bag and use them in any way I can. Of course I love them, they have a strong flavor and crunchy.

I know this cake is more for winter (we´re in mid of summer in Argentina), lots of chocolate, calories everywhere, but I knew he was going to like it.

Chocotella Cake *

Brownie
Butter 90 g 
Bittersweet chocolate 75 g 
Eggs 2 units
Common sugar 225 g 
Cake flour 125 g
Pinch of salt
Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp

- Preheat oven to 180°C (325°F)
- Grease and flour a round cake pan of 24 cm in diameter
- Chop the chocolate coarsely and melt with the butter
- Mix the eggs with the sugar and vanilla essence
- Add the chocolate mixture to eggs
- Add the sifted flour and salt. Mix until flour disappears
- Pour in the pan and bring to the oven
- Cook for 20 minutes
- Remove and let cool to room temperature

If you want you can add chocolate chips, chopped walnuts,or better, hazelnuts, which will fit well with the mousse.

Cocoa meringue with nibs
Egg whites 2 units
Common sugar 75 g  
Bitter cocoa powder 1 tbsp 
Icing sugar 85 g
Cocoa nibs 1 Tbsp

- Preheat oven to 100 ° C, the oven can be at minimum heat and leave the door open so that the temperature does not rise much.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, and make a circumference of 20 cm in diameter with a plate or cake pan
- Spread the nibs inside the circle, scattered
- Beat the egg whites,
- When the peaks hold, add little by little the common sugar and continue beating until the peaks are stiff
- Mix the icing sugar and cocoa powder
- Add tto the meringue the cocoa mixture and mix carefully. It seems it doesn´t want to mix but gently it will.
- Put the meringue inside the circle, spread evenly, and give two gentle tapps to the baking sheet, so you won´t have bubbles near the nibs
- Bake for 1 hour, turning it off and left overnight to cool

Nutella mousse
Whipping cream 200 g
Nutella spread100 g

- Mix the cream with hazelnut paste and begin to beat
- Beat until it has firm consistency
- Refrigerate until preparing the cake

Cake
- Place the brownie on a plate where you're going to serve
- You can skip this step and jump to the next: put the mousse in a pipping bag with round 1 cm tip and make peaks around the brownie, fill the center with the rest of the mousse
- If you skipped previous step: spread the mousse over the brownie and level
- Place the meringue on top and take it to the refrigerator until ready to serve

Needless to say he loved it!

* Lately, when I try to put names to desserts, I´m so corny! Excuse my cheesyness, but I wasn´t convinced by Brownie and Hazelnut Mousse Cake, not very appealing!


*** Un update: February 5th it´s World Nutella Day! Just didn´t know it was coming! Here are some links about it Ms Adventures in Italy, Bleeding Espresso and World Nutella Day