If you’re looking for a dessert that will wow everyone at the first slice, the Nutella-heart bundt cake is exactly what you need. This isn’t your average breakfast cake: the vanilla-scented, tender batter meets a generous, fluid and velvety filling. Making the bundt cake with a creamy center is a foolproof way to win over kids (and adults!), making any moment special — from breakfast to an afternoon snack with a warm cup of tea, perhaps with your cat watching curiously from the kitchen counter. Follow my tips to get a perfect result and an ideal distribution of the filling!
If you like bundt cakes, try the Nuvola Nene bundt, the Dad’s bundt cake, the ricotta bundt cake or the marbled bundt.
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OTHER BUNDT CAKES
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for making the soft bundt cake with a Nutella center
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose '00' flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 7 tbsp Butter
- 2/3 cup Milk
- 1 packet Baking powder
- 1 pinch Salt
- 7 oz Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Steps to prepare the Nutella-heart bundt cake
Start by cracking the 3 eggs into a large bowl. Add the sugar and beat with electric beaters at high speed for at least 5–6 minutes: the mixture should become pale, fluffy and almost double in volume. Once you have this frothy texture, pour in the melted butter (make sure it is warm, not hot) and continue mixing at low speed. This step ensures your bundt cake batter stays light and airy, forming the ideal structure to hold the filling.
At this point, sift the ’00’ flour together with the baking powder directly over the egg mixture. Add the first 100 ml of milk (about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp), the pinch of salt and the vanilla extract. Switch to a hand whisk and mix with decisive but fluid strokes from the center outward until you obtain a perfectly smooth, shiny batter with no lumps. The consistency should be thick but pourable. Do not overwork the batter after adding the flour to avoid activating too much gluten, preserving maximum softness.
Take an 8 5/8 in (22 cm) pan, butter and flour it well. Pour in about 3/4 of the batter and level it. In a small bowl, mix the 7 oz (about 200 g) of Nutella with the remaining 50 ml of milk (about 3 tbsp + 1 tsp): this is the secret step that will make the cream fluid so it won’t dry out in the oven. Pour the cream into the center of the batter, keeping it away from the edges of the pan so it doesn’t leak out. Finally, cover with the remaining white batter, gently spreading it with a spoon to seal the creamy heart inside.
Preheat your conventional oven to 356°F (180°C) and bake the Nutella-heart bundt cake on the middle rack. Bake for about 40–45 minutes, avoiding opening the oven in the first half hour. To check, insert a skewer into the white parts: it should come out clean. Once out of the oven, it is important to let the cake cool completely in the pan before unmolding; the hot filling makes it delicate right after baking. Before serving, finish with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
Tips for a perfect result
Nutella at room temperature: If your spread is too firm (for example in winter), warm it for a few seconds in the microwave before mixing it with the milk. It needs to be fluid to distribute evenly over the batter without sinking abruptly.
Choosing the pan: For this quantity, an 8 5/8 in (22 cm) pan is ideal to obtain a tall bundt cake. If you use a 9.5 in or 10 in (24–26 cm) pan, the cake will be lower and baking time may reduce by about 5–10 minutes.
Don’t mix the two parts: When you cover the Nutella with the last quarter of batter, do it very gently. If you stir excessively, you’ll lose the ‘heart’ effect and get a marbled cake — still tasty but less spectacular when sliced.
Delicious variations to try
Hazelnut touch: To enhance the flavor of the spread, add 30 g of hazelnut flour or very finely chopped hazelnut praline to the white batter. The toasted aroma will make the chocolate combination even more irresistible.
White heart: For a reverse color contrast, use a white chocolate spread or pistachio spread following the same procedure (dilute it with a little milk). The visual effect will be surprising.
Cocoa batter: For true chocolate lovers, replace 30 g of flour with the same amount of unsweetened cocoa powder. You’ll get a ‘black on black’ bundt where the dark filling meets a dark batter.
Storage and suggestions
Room temperature: The bundt cake stays soft for 3 days under a glass dome. Being a butter-based batter with a creamy heart, it dislikes dry air which would harden the crumb.
Just-baked effect: If you want the heart to be super-soft again on the second day, warm your slice for 5–10 seconds in the microwave: the Nutella will return to its original fluid consistency.
In summer: If it’s very hot, you can store the cake refrigerated wrapped in cling film. Remember to take it out at least an hour before serving so the butter doesn’t remain too firm.
Now it’s your turn!
The Nutella-heart bundt cake is the recipe that saves you when you need guaranteed success. It’s simple, quick and brings incredible joy every time that ribbon of chocolate appears on the plate. Make it and watch the faces of those who taste it: satisfaction guaranteed!
Are you a Nutella purist or do you like experimenting with artisanal spreads or pistachio cream? What’s your ‘trick’ to make homemade desserts even more irresistible? Tell me in the comments — I can’t wait to discover your secrets!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I replace butter with oil?
Yes, you can use 80 ml of vegetable oil (sunflower or corn) instead of the 100 g of butter. That’s about 1/3 cup. The cake will be slightly moister and will stay soft longer, though it will lose some of the buttery ‘creaminess’ in flavor.
Why did the Nutella sink to the bottom?
This happens if the white batter is too runny or if you didn’t dilute the spread correctly with the milk. Make sure the 3/4 base is well leveled and that the cream is placed exactly in the center.
Can I use yogurt instead of milk?
Absolutely! You can use 125 g of plain yogurt (about 1/2 cup) in the main batter. Remember to still reserve the 50 ml of milk (about 3 tbsp + 1 tsp) to make the Nutella fluid — this is essential for the creamy heart.
