Chocolate Nutella Babycakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

1. In a medium size bowl, sift 1 cup sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together 4 egg yolks, vegetable oil, water, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract (optional). Melt the chocolate bar with a double boiler or microwave. If you decide to use a microwave, please be careful to make sure that the chocolate doesn’t burn. Once the chocolate has melted, add 2 spoonfuls of Nutella, combining both chocolates. (Reserve the remaining Nutella from the jar for the icing.)

2. Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a whisk to blend all ingredients together. Once they are blended, pour the melted chocolate into the mixture again blending with your whisk, making sure that all ingredients are well blended.

3. In a chilled bowl, add the 6 egg whites and use a handheld mixer or stand mixer and begin to mix until the egg white turn foamy. Once the egg whites are foamy, add the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue to mix until the egg whites turn to soft peaks creating a meringue.

4. Now that you have the meringue, gently fold the meringue into the cake batter until evenly blended with a rubber spatula. Do not stir. If you stir, you could deflate the meringue, making your cake flat and gross. Use a rubber spatula and gently fold until well combined.

5. In a greased or sprayed 16×10 rectangular pan (I use the flour spray), pour in the cake batter and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before you begin to layer the mini baby cakes.

For the Nutella icing:

Cream the butter and Nutella until evenly mixed. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, salt, and interchanging with the milk or cream so it doesn’t become too hard to mix. Continue until all powdered sugar is added and it reaches a creamy frosting mixture.

To assemble the cake:

Take a biscuit cutter and cut an even number of cakes. Begin to layer the cake with a piece of cake, icing, cake. You can garnish with your choice of chocolate shavings and/or chopped hazelnuts, if desired.