Pound Cake with Homemade Nutella = Happy Birthday!

I promise that I’m not always eating sweets all the time (well, not all the time), but I do enjoy baking and making things with my hands. Oh, and Pinterest has this uncanny ability to not only make everything look aaaaaaahbsolutely delicious, but oh-so-simple to make too! (Which, I have found, is not always the case…just sayin…)

Anywho, this Memorial Day weekend I was also celebrating my stepmom’s birthday, so I thought it would be the perfect time to try a new recipe out. In fact, I actually combined three different recipes in order to come up with this one, and since I think it turned out nicely, I will be sharing it with you all!

First things first — you HAVE to make the homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread (aka nutella). It is so much better than the store bought version, and healthier too! (Unless you eat the whole batch, which I was pretty tempted to do!) Then, you simply layer that with the pound cake batter, swirl the two together with a knife/toothpick, and voila! 

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread Recipe

• 2 cups raw, organic hazelnuts
• 1 cup organic confectioner’s sugar
• ⅓ cup raw, organic cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons organic hazelnut oil (almost any oil will work in a punch)
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

1. Transfer peeled hazelnuts to food processor or blender and process to consistency of smooth, loose paste, scraping down bowl as needed. (And don’t be stupid and attempt to scrape down the sides with your spatula while the blades are still a-twirlin…)
2. Add sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla, and salt, and process until fully incorporated. The mixture will begin to loosen and become glossy.
3. Transfer spread to jar with tight-fitting lid. It can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 1 month. (But you and I both know it won’t last that long!)

Pound Cake Recipe

• 1 + 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic sugar
• 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 large organic, free-range egg whites, at room temperature 
• 1 large organic, free range egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup organic milk

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- by 5-inch (or similar-size) loaf pan with cooking spray; dust with flour and tap out any excess. (I used two oversized ramekins instead.)
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
3. Beat 3/4 cup sugar, cream cheese, and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Then, beat in egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the whole egg and beat well.
4. Reduce speed to medium and beat in the milk — the mixture will look curdled.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 2 batches, beating just until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. (Be sure not to over-mix!)
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
7. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides and turn the cake out onto the rack. Slice and enjoy!
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