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Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise)

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

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This almond nutella cake walks on the wild side. It’s a flavor explosion – combining the best of some of my favorite deserts. It has the coffee goodness of a tiramisu cream with the nutty sweetness of macaroons and is laced with chocolatey nutella. The layers are kind of like giant macarons but the batter is not as finicky and is much more forgiving.

This cake can be made in advance since it is best served the next day, after the almond layers have had a chance to soften and take on some of the coffee infused cream. This is also a gluten free cake! That’s great news for those of you who are gluten free! 🙂

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

This cake was based on a recipe shared with me by one of my readers, Anna. It is exactly as she described, “delicious.” P.S. Anna also adds shaved chocolate espresso beans between the layers and over the top, but I couldn’t find any and was way too eager to make the cake! Anna, thank you so much for sharing this goodness with me :).

Ingredients for Macaron/Almond Cake Layers:

325 grams super finely ground almond flour (*see note below) *measured correctly
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup.
1/4 tsp salt
6 large egg whites, room temp
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

*Note on measuring/weighing flour: I weighed the almond flour, but if you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure out 3 1/2 cups almond flour using this method: spoon flour into the measuring cup and scrape off the top without packing flour down. Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly!

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake

For Frosting, Filling & Toppings:

3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp coffee extract or almond liquor or chocolate liquor
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 to 1/2 of a 26.5 oz Nutella jar
Semisweet chocolate bar for decor

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

Prep:

1. Trace three 8-inch circles on parchment paper (I baked all 3 layers at once – two on one large baking sheet and one on a second sheet). Trace in a bold pen or permanent marker then flip the paper over so you can see the tracing without putting the batter directly over the marker. Lightly butter top of the parchment paper with a paper towel. Arrange baking racks for both pans to fit in the center of the oven (the first was in the top third of the oven and the second was in the bottom third).

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake-2

How to Make the Almond Nutella Cake Layers:

1. In a large bowl, combine: 325 grams almond flour (3 1/2 cups lightly packed) with 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt, and thoroughly whisk together until no large clumps of flour remain.

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake-6

2. In the clean/dry bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 6 egg whites on high speed for 1 minute or until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, add in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla. With the mixer still on, add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed for 2-3 min or until stiff but manageable.

3. Fold the egg whites into the almond meal gently, about 1/2 cup at a time until no streaks remain. 

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake-7

4. Divide and spread batter evenly onto the three traced circles of your parchment paper. The more evenly you spread them now, the prettier they will be when stacked later. Bake at 325˚F for 12 min, rotate pans and bake another 12 min. Turn oven off and keep in the oven another 15 min. You want the top to be dry and crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp.

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake-8

Making the Frosting:

1. In the bowl of your mixer, combine 3 cups heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed (1 min) until soft peaks form, add in 2 tsp coffee extract and 2 tsp vanilla extract and continue mixing on high (1-2 min) until spreadable but don’t overbeat or you’ll end up with a lumpy buttery cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate frosting until ready to use.

Almond Nutella Coffee Cake-9

Assembling the Almond Nutella Cake:

1. Spread nutella on the bottom of two of your cake layers and set aside. Add nutella based on how sweet you like your cakes – I used 1/2 a tub for my fierce sweet tooth but you can use less 1/3 if you prefer less sweetness

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

2. Place the third cake layer (without nutella on it) on a cake stand and cover generously with frosting. Top with the next layer, nutella-side-down. Cover the top with frosting. Repeat with last layer then frost the top and sides of the cake. I piped a border around the top of the cake with my Wilton Open-star frosting tip.

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

3. Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate curls, or grated chocolate covered espresso beans. Refrigerate the cake for 6-8 hours, or overnight since the almond layers need time to soften up; otherwise it will be difficult to slice the cake. Also, for ease of slicing, remove the cake from the refrigerator about 30 min before serving.

Tip: I made the chocolate curls by melting chocolate then spreading it thinly over the back of a baking sheet. Once it cooled, I scraped the pan with a food scraper to make the curls. You could also use a butter knife.

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen

Almond Nutella Cake Recipe

4.99 from 54 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen
This Almond Nutella Cake has the coffee goodness of a tiramisu cream with the nutty sweetness of macaroons and is laced with Nutella. It's best served the next day. p.s. it's gluten free.
Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 1/2-inch round cake

Ingredients for Almond Cake Layers:

  • 325 grams super finely ground almond flour, *or 3 1/2 cups, see note below
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup.
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 large egg whites, room temp
  • 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

For Frosting, Filling & Toppings:

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp coffee extract or almond liquor or chocolate liquor
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 to 1/2 of a 26.5 oz Nutella jar
  • Semisweet chocolate bar for decor

Instructions

Prep:

  • Trace three 8-inch circles on parchment paper (I baked all 3 layers at once - two on one large baking sheet and one on a second sheet). Trace in a bold pen or permanent marker then flip the paper over so you can see the tracing without putting the batter directly over markings. Lightly butter top of parchment paper with a paper towel. Arrange baking racks with the first rack in the top third of the oven and the second in the bottom third.

How to Make the Almond Cake Layers: Preheat Oven to 325˚F.

  • In a large bowl, combine: 325 grams almond flour with 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt, and thoroughly whisk together until no large clumps of flour remain.
  • In the clean/dry bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 6 egg whites on high speed for 1 minute or until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, add in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed for 2-3 min or until stiff but manageable.
  • Fold the egg whites into the almond meal gently, about 1/2 cup at a time until no streaks remain.
  • Divide and spread batter as evenly as possible (they'll stack better later!) onto the three traced circles of your parchment paper. Bake at 325˚F for 12 min, rotate pans between racks and bake another 12 min. Turn oven off and keep in the oven another 15 min. You want it to be dry and crunchy on the outside and semi-soft inside. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp on a wire rack.

Making the Frosting:

  • In the bowl of your mixer, combine 3 cups heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed (1 min) until soft peaks form, add 2 tsp coffee extract and 2 tsp vanilla extract and continue mixing on high (1-2 min) until spreadable (don't overbeat). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembling Cake:

  • Spread Nutella on the bottom of two of your cake layers and set aside. Add Nutella based on how sweet you like your cakes - I used 1/2 a tub for my fierce sweet tooth but you can use less 1/3 if you prefer less sweetness.
  • Place the third cake layer (without Nutella on it) on a cake stand and cover generously with frosting. Top with the next layer, Nutella-side-down. Cover the top with frosting. Repeat with last layer then frost the top and sides of the cake. I piped a border around the top of the cake with my large Wilton open-star frosting tip.
  • Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate curls, or grated chocolate covered espresso beans. Refrigerate cake 6-8 hours, or overnight since the almond layers need time to soften up; otherwise it will be difficult to slice.

Notes

*On measuring/weighing flour: I weighed 325 grams almond flour, but if you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure out 3 1/2 cups almond flour using this method: spoon flour into the measuring cup and scrape off the top without packing flour down.
Tip: I made the chocolate curls by melting chocolate then spreading it thinly over the back of a baking sheet. Once it cooled, I scraped the pan with a food scraper to make the curls. You could also use a butter knife.
Tip: For ease of slicing, remove the cake from the refrigerator about 30 min before serving.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Nutella Cake
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) - Layers of scrumptious goodness! And it's gluten free! @natashaskitchen
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥

Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
*The lovely turquoise Fiesta Cake Plate with Server.
*One of my 3 fave frosting tips: Wilton 1M Open Star.
*Spread frosting like a pro: OXO Bent Spatula
*Ofcourse the “workhorse”: KitchenAid Pro 6Qt
*Nutella, just in case (good price on Amazon!)

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.99 from 54 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Jessica
    September 30, 2021

    strawberries
    cut thinly into circles would be good in between the layers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 30, 2021

      Hi Jessica, I haven’t tested it. That could be nice if you were planning to eat it right away, but this cake is best after it has had time to rest and soften. The strawberries might get weird after sitting for a while.

      Reply

  • Nanette
    February 6, 2021

    I made this cake and it was amazing. My daughter is not a fan of coffee so I added cocoa powder to the frosting instead. I am going to make it again and was wondering if I can pipe the batter into the parchment paper?
    Would it be too thick if I did?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 6, 2021

      Hi Nanette, I haven’t piped it myself, but I imagine that will depend on how thick you pipe it.

      Reply

  • saminasyed483@gmail.com
    December 16, 2020

    Hi Natasha,
    This cake looks very tempting with all my favorite flavors and it’s GLUTEN FREE!!!. I want try this cake during the holidays.I went thru the whole recipe.I have some questions:

    1.You mentioned in your recipe that you baked three thin cookie like layers on parchment paper circles on two baking sheets. Two layers on 1 baking sheet in top third of the oven and the 3rd layer on other baking sheet in the bottom third of the oven. After 12 mins of baking you switched top two layers to the bottom and the bottom one layer to the top of the oven and baked another 12mins.Then turn oven off and keep it in the oven for another 15mins.
    Just wanted to clarify this. Correct?

    2. For frosting the cake can I use the cool whip topping mixed with coffee and frost the cake? What do you recommend/suggest?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 17, 2020

      Hi, yes the directions are correct. I haven’t tried that for a topping but I think it’s worth a try. You might try to make a small batch of cream to make sure it stays creamy and doesn’t separate.

      Reply

      • Samina
        December 17, 2020

        Finally!!! I see my comment 😄.
        Thank you so much for the clarification and prompt response!
        Will give you the feedback when I try the cake!

        Reply

  • Arpine
    April 23, 2020

    Please make a video on this cake!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 24, 2020

      Thanks for your suggestion.

      Reply

  • Eman
    February 22, 2020

    Can this be made with 3 whole eggs, instead of 6 egg whites?

    Why are the yolks left out? Is it to prevent the “eggy” taste that can sometimes happen if the dessert is overcooked?

    Or, could I just use the weight equivalent of “carton” egg whites.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 22, 2020

      Hi Eman, I can’t make that recommendation without testing it through. I think it would alter the texture of the cake and would require other modifications.

      Reply

      • Eman Ottallah
        February 22, 2020

        Thank you so much.

        Reply

  • Adriana
    December 30, 2019

    I did this for my birthday the other day and everyone loved it! (I just regret it was just enough servings for everyone and I was left with only 1 slice for the next day!)
    I did a couple of small changes:
    – I used espresso coffe for the cream (I have no idea were to get extract around here and I needed it to be kids friendly, so no licour) and I realized I didn’t had enough vainilla extract until it was too late, so I was worried it would end up a little “meh”, so I added almond praline to the top for decoration, taste and a little crunch.
    – Because I have a bad record with cakes with this much cream holding up, I added gelatin to it, which of course worked great. The problem was that the cream didn’t stick to the nutella, so it slided when trying to eat it (my 7 year old nephew was very annoyed by that :P), maybe I should have let it out for a few minutes before serving it.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 30, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Rosie
    June 6, 2019

    Hi, I’m going to attempt to make this but noticed you haven’t used butter. I’m not the greatest at baking so want to check if it’s essential for this cake or not? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 6, 2019

      Hi Rosie, that is correct no butter in the cake.

      Reply

  • Dieselle
    March 26, 2019

    I would love to make this for a party.
    What keeps the whipped cream from liquifying the next day? I usually stabilize mine with gelatin or mascarpone, is that not necessary with your recipe? Tyia

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 26, 2019

      Hi, Dieseele! we enjoy our cake fresh but I think that would work to make it 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.The cream should hold up.

      Reply

      • Sara strang
        November 18, 2019

        Have you tried it with almond liquor and if yes, what brand do you use?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          November 18, 2019

          Hi Sara, I have not tested that to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.

          Reply

        • Jessica
          May 20, 2022

          This cake is super delicious, we love it ! What would the measurements be for making it a 10inch cake instead of 8inch?

          Reply

          • NatashasKitchen.com
            May 20, 2022

            Hi Jessica, in the recipe card, use to level to adjust the “serving size” and this will help you figure how much more to make.

  • Galina Recker
    January 23, 2019

    Hi, do you bake the dough on a sheet pan that’s lined with parchment paper?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 24, 2019

      Hi Galina, yes, we bake it on the parchment rounds 🙂 See photos in the recipe. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Irene
    December 5, 2018

    Can you freeze this cake?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 5, 2018

      Hi Irene, I honestly haven’t tried and I’m not sure it would freeze well since whipped cream doesn’t hold up very well when frozen and thawed.

      Reply

    • CRISTINA
      May 15, 2019

      I froze it and it tasted amazing straight from the freezer. It’s almost like an icecream cake or even better. Also, if you leave it at room temperature for a couple hours, it tastes delicious even after freezing.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        May 15, 2019

        I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

        Reply

  • Katya
    May 21, 2018

    Made this cake on Saturday and had it for dessert yesterday! It was delicious!!! Everyone loved it! I noticed that although I refrigerated it overnight, the layers that I baked were still a little hard (not fully soft). What can I do differently next time?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 21, 2018

      Hi Katya, I have found that making sure there is enough whipped cream between each layer. The whipped cream that touches the layers is what softens the layers. You can also keep it on the counter a couple of hours before refrigerating which will help to speed up the softening.

      Reply

  • Lena
    April 13, 2018

    Hi Natasha!

    I was wondering if it would be ok to make and assemble this cake 2 days prior to serving? Like if I was to make it on a Thursday would it be ok to serve Saturday or do you think it would get to soft? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 14, 2018

      Hi Lena, I think that would work to make it 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

      Reply

      • Lena
        April 15, 2018

        Great, thank you!

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          April 16, 2018

          You’re welcome Lena!

          Reply

  • Linda Ruffolo
    March 7, 2018

    Can this cake be made with Keto Ingredients? Almond flour is great, what about the sugar substitute?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 7, 2018

      Hi Linda, I honestly haven’t tried substituting the sugar because I think the meringue would not form properly. If you experiment, let me know 🙂

      Reply

  • Anna
    February 19, 2018

    I have a question, my sister in law is also lactose intolerance. What would be your suggestions to substitute Heavy whipping cream with?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 19, 2018

      Hi Anna, I haven’t tested that but there are several recipes online like this one for dairy free whipping cream using coconut milk. If you test that out, let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply

  • Ella Stefoglo
    January 4, 2018

    Hello Natasha,
    I was thinking of making this cake, and pouring ganache over the top of the cake (instead of doing the white cream). What do you think of that idea? I don’t want it too sweet and love the flavor of nuts with chocolate (hello Nutella!).

    The flavors remind me of a cake I tried at the Empress Hotel in Victoria BC, it was more chocolate heavy than yours. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4tz-S_ZG0k . I’ve been on the hunt for that Empress Cake recipe for a long time. Haven’t had much luck since it’s their signature. 🙁 Let me know if you might have tips though!

    Regards,
    Ella

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 4, 2018

      Hi Ella, I think the whipped cream frosting is still necessary to soften the cake. The layers absorb the moisture from the cream overnight and soften. You might be able to pour ganache over it the following day after it has softened. Also that cake you linked looks incredible!!

      Reply

  • Oksana Zem
    November 29, 2017

    This cake was pure deliciousness!! Before making it I searched through the comments in hopes of seeing if someone used anything besides coffee extract because I didn’t have any and didn’t find any at my grocery store (didn’t want to go to any other ones) so what I did was take two teaspoons of instant coffee and mixed it with a little bit of water and added it to the cream instead of the extract. It worked perfectly well! Thank you for such an amazing recipe 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 29, 2017

      You’re welcome Oksana! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!

      Reply

  • Melene Rose
    September 11, 2017

    This is so rich and yummy, like tiramisu only better. I made this cake last week for choir practice, and it was a huge hit, especially since it is gluten-free.
    One change I made that I highly recommend, I used Nocciolata by Rigoni di Asiago instead of Nutella. One 270 g (9.52 oz) bottle was perfect for the entire cake. The main reason I used Nocciolata was because of the organic ingredients plus it has NO PALM OIL.
    I am doing my best to read ingredient labels and not buy foods containing palm oil. Not only is the farming method contributing to climate warming (burning of the rain forests), but I can’t stand seeing the photos of the baby orangutans and their parents, whose rain forest homes are destroyed when the trees are burned. Nocciolata made a wonderfully tasty and palm oil free substitute.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 11, 2017

      I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Melene! Thanks for sharing your review and tips with other readers! 🙂

      Reply

  • Zulfiya Stokes
    July 27, 2017

    I’ve made this for my guests a couple days ago. Everyone absolutely loved it, adults and toddlers. There was not a crumb left. Thank you for sharing. It’s a keeper!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 27, 2017

      My pleasure! That really is great to hear! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!

      Reply

  • Olga
    April 5, 2017

    Hey Natasha! This cake looks so delicious! Can I substitute the almond flower with regular? (I know it won’t taste the same, but want to try it out cuz of the nutella 😉 And since I have a sleeping li’l babe, gotta use the time quickly and going to the store for the Almond flower is not an option at the moment …

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 5, 2017

      Hi Olga, with this particular cake, all-purpose flour won’t work. The consistency just would not be the same…

      Reply

      • Olga
        April 5, 2017

        Ok, that’s what I figured. Thank you anyway 😘

        Reply

  • Anna
    April 5, 2017

    Hi Natasha!
    I would like to pipe roses all over this cake, sides and top. Do you think this frosting will hold up well, especially for the roses that will be “vertical” on the sides of the cake? I will be making this cake about 14 hours ahead before serving, so I want to make sure the piped roses won’t lose their shape. Thank you so much! And thank you for your blog, this is my go-to website for new recipes!:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 5, 2017

      Hi Anna, whipped cream is kind of tricky for piping roses, especially on the side. I’m not sure they would stay…

      Reply

      • Anna
        April 5, 2017

        Thanks for your response. If I pipe the same border as you have on the picture, do you think it will stay if I make the cake about 14 hours in advance?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          April 5, 2017

          Hi Anna, yes that will stay the way it is piped on the cake. It does need to be refrigerated overnight before enjoying so it is definitely good to store for 14 hours 🙂

          Reply

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