Carnival cake with Nutella and colorful sprinkles
A super soft and cheerful Nutella cake for Carnival, ideal for birthday parties and children’s celebrations in a joyful atmosphere (also nice for Epiphany) irresistibly delicious due to the presence of Nutella in the batter and chocolate sprinkles, as well as being covered with a soft and creamy condensed milk and chocolate glaze. A cake that will surely make chocolate addicts happy.
Sour cream (or crème fraîche or sour creme) is easily found in supermarkets or organic stores, but you can easily prepare it at home like this: in a bowl, whisk 250 g of fresh liquid cream with 70 g of whole plain yogurt (I use Total Fage at 5%), if desired, you can add a few drops of lemon and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 24 hours, covered with a kitchen towel. After this time, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To prepare this Nutella cake, you can use any bundt cake mold, BUT the “Heritage” bundt cake mold from Nordic Ware (see Purchase Tips below) gives a special elegance to the cake and is perfect for decorating with colorful sprinkles.
If you are looking for other Carnival recipes (sweet or savory) click on my: “Carnival Special“.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients for the Carnival Cake with Nutella and Colorful Sprinkles
- 7 oz butter (I use Lurpak)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (I use Caputo pastry flour)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil (preferably high oleic sunflower oil (see notes below))
- 4 eggs (whole)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (quality brand, I use Van Houten)
- 1 cup sour cream (see above to make it at home)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water (boiling)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2 oz Nutella®
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can of 397 g)
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 7 oz dark chocolate 70% (I use Callebaut)
- as needed smarties (or M&M'S)
Tools
- Bowl
- Stand mixer Kenwood with a powerful 1400 W, illuminated bowl
- Spatula
- Bundt pan Nordic Ware, Heritage
Steps for the Carnival Cake with Nutella and Colorful Sprinkles
I start by saying that all ingredients must be at ROOM TEMPERATURE.
Put the softened butter in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat for 5 minutes, then add the granulated sugar and beat until well combined.
Now, change the paddle attachment to the whisk attachment and add the eggs one at a time, then also the oil and the 15 ml of vanilla extract.
Separately, mix the sour cream with the 5 g of baking soda and add it gradually to the stand mixer. Gradually add the flour, with the sifted baking powder, alternating it with milk.
Also add the cocoa, then the boiling water and finally pour in the chocolate chips, mixing the batter well.
Take a bundt pan and grease it well with butter and flour (or cocoa powder).
If you use a very scalloped pan, like the Heritage from Nordic Ware, I recommend a baking release spray that reaches deep into all the grooves of the pan.
Place the pan in a preheated oven at 356°F, for about 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out completely clean.
Melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, in 30 ml of fresh whole milk, then add the condensed milk until the consistency thickens a bit, then immediately pour the glaze over the cake because it hardens quickly. Finally, add the smarties (or m&m’s) as desired, which will stick to the glaze without sliding off.
Notes and Tips
For cooking, I always use high oleic sunflower oil, which – unlike all other oils (except extra virgin) – does not contain polyunsaturated fats, which are very harmful and are largely found in industrial products (snacks, crackers, etc.). Oleic acid is indeed a monounsaturated fatty acid that has several interesting characteristics: it is useful in providing the body with those precious substances known as omega-3 and omega-6 and to reduce “bad” cholesterol in the blood. High oleic sunflower oil also boasts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. Obviously, if you can’t find it, you can easily use regular sunflower seed oil.
Purchase Tips !!!
To knead perfectly, I use my Kenwood stand mixer with illuminated bowl, 7L, integrated scale and blender, powerful 1400W, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, pasteurizing eggs.
If you are looking for a more affordable and smaller stand mixer, you can easily choose to purchase the excellent Kenwood, with 1200W power, dual bowl of 5L and 3.5L, and integrated scale.
To make this cake special, I used the Heritage bundt pan from Nordic Ware, made of cast aluminum, allows for even heat distribution so your cakes are always perfectly baked. The internal nonstick coating makes it easy to release the cake after baking.
Very useful for greasing highly grooved molds (like the Heritage from Nordic Ware) and perfectly releasing your cakes, is the food release spray.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What does Carnival mean?
According to the most accredited interpretation, the word ‘carnival’ derives from the Latin carnem levare (“remove meat”) as it indicated the feast held on the last day of Carnival (Fat Tuesday), just before the period of abstinence and fasting of Lent.
What is a Bundt Cake
A Bundt cake is not defined by its flavor or ingredients but by its shape. The cake is baked in a Bundt pan, or Bundt cake mold, which gives it a characteristic ring shape with grooved sides. This unique shape allows for more even baking and a visually appealing presentation. This cake has its roots in European baking traditions, particularly in Germany and Austria. Today, the mold made of cast aluminum from Nordic Ware is found in over 70 million homes around the world!
