Kinder Bueno cake with Nutella buttercream is a fun chocolate bar cake featuring the flavours of the namesake chocolate and plenty of Bueno bars for decoration. This Kinder chocolate cake is easy to make and it is a great celebration cake.
Serve this cake with some chocolate liqueur for the grown ups or a malty hot chocolate for children and non-drinkers.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send the link straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll receive my trusted recipes each week!
Why I love this recipe
- Fun: Incorporating popular chocolates into a bake is always going to add visual interest and a themed flavour.
- Taste: Expect plenty of creamy chocolate hazelnut flavour to run through this bake.
- Appearance: It's a beauty and there's no mistaking what this Kinder Bueno chocolate cake is going to taste of.
- Easy: This cake looks impressive but it's very simple to make and decorate.
- Feeds plenty: Expect to cut at least 10 generous slices.
- Versatile: This bake would make a lovely celebration cake. Add a few candles to turn it into a Kinder Bueno birthday cake or garnish it with Kinder Bueno eggs to make a Bueno Easter cake. Alternatively, go ahead and bake it just because you feel like it.
Jump to:
- Why I love this recipe
- What is Kinder Bueno cake?
- Ingredients notes
- Step by step instructions
- Expert tips
- How to increase the ingredients quantity for three 8-inch baking tins
- Frequently asked questions
- More Indulgent Chocolate Cakes
- 📖 Recipe
- How to increase the quantity for three 8-inch baking tins
- 💬 Comments
What is Kinder Bueno cake?
Bueno is a popular confection made by Ferrero as part of their Kinder Chocolate brand. The original bar comprises a hazelnut-cream filled wafer covered in milk chocolate with a dark chocolate drizzle. There is also a white chocolate Kinder Bueno bar that is covered in white chocolate.
I have taken inspiration from this confection to create my Kinder Bueno cake. It features:
- Three layers of soft & fluffy sponge cake: The top and bottom layers are hot chocolate sponge cakes and the middle layer is vanilla sponge.
- Creamy Nutella buttercream: This chocolate-hazelnut frosting takes the place of the hazelnut-cream filling in the Bueno bars.
- Kinder Bueno bars inside the cake: These are chopped and added to the buttercream layers to keep the Kinder Bueno cake filling on theme.
- Milk and white chocolate Bueno bar decorations: The crowning glory of this cake are chunks of the namesake chocolate in generous proportions.
Don't miss my other chocolate-themed bakes including Dairy Milk cake, Ferrero Rocher cake, Raffaello torte, Ferrero Rocher cheesecake, Raffaello cheesecake and Ferrero Rocher tiffin.
Ingredients notes
Kinder Bueno: It's not possible to make a Kinder Bueno cake without the Bueno bars. Go with the original milk chocolate Bueno bars, the white chocolate Bueno bars or a mixture of the two.
Drinking chocolate powder: Using hot chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder means the chocolate sponge cakes are not too rich. It leads to a better balance of milk chocolate & hazelnut flavour.
Vanilla: Use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste but avoid using vanilla essence as it is an inferior product and, in my opinion, it should stay where it belongs - in the 1970s.
Chocolate Hazelnut spread: I used Nutella but you can use an alternative brand of chocolate hazelnut spread provided it has a similar consistency to Nutella (ie thick and spreadable rather than loose and runny).
Step by step instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Begin making the chocolate sponge cake batter in a medium mixing bowl by creaming the butter and sugar together using electric beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract. Repeat the process in a smaller bowl for the vanilla sponge cake batter.
Step 2. To the vanilla sponge batter sieve in the flour and baking powder. Fold it in using a large metal spoon. Sieve plain flour, baking powder and hot chocolate powder into the bowl for the chocolate sponge batter. Fold it in.
Step 3. Divide the chocolate cake batter between two prepared baking tins. Add the vanilla cake batter to the third tin. Bake for around 20 minutes until a cocktail pick poked into the centre comes out clean. Remove the sponge cakes from the cake tins and leave them to cool on wire racks.
Step 4. Meanwhile make the chocolate hazelnut buttercream by beating the butter until smooth. Add the Nutella, cream, vanilla extract and salt and beat until well combined.
Step 5. Sieve half of the icing sugar and cocoa powder into the mixture. Beat until smooth. Repeat with the remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Step 6. Spread 1 heaped tablespoon of the buttercream over one layer of chocolate cake. Chop 2 sticks of Kinder Bueno roughly and press into the buttercream.
Step 7. Top with the layer of vanilla sponge cake and repeat step 6 then add the final layer of chocolate cake.
Step 8. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides of the layer cake and pipe rosettes of buttercream on the top and around the bottom edge. Press pieces of Bueno bar into the rosettes on the top and around the edge of the cake. More pieces can be piled into the centre if desired.
Expert tips
Top Tip: Use cake bands (baking strips) to allow your cakes to bake and rise evenly. Buy cake bands online or make your own baking strips.
- Use digital kitchen scales and grams to measure your ingredients. It's the most accurate method (the cup-method is highly inaccurate and should be avoided).
- Avoid making ingredient substitutions or omissions without careful consideration. Every ingredient in this Kinder chocolate cake recipe serves a specific purpose and removing or replacing one entirely could result in a disappointing bake.
- Use the tin size specified (three 6-inch round tins): Using tins that are too large will result in thin cake layers. See my notes for adapting the recipe for larger tins.
- Always grease your baking tins and use a circle of baking parchment to line the bases: Getting your cakes out will be so much easier if you do this, even if your tins are non-stick.
- Wait until the cake is completely cold before decorating it: If you spread the buttercream onto the cake when it is still warm the buttercream will melt.
How to increase the ingredients quantity for three 8-inch baking tins
More cake batter
If you have 8-inch tins use the following measures for the two layers of chocolate cake:
- 4 eggs
- 240g butter
- 200g Sugar
- 160g flour
- 80g Drinking chocolate powder
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the vanilla cake layer use the following measures:
- 2 eggs
- 120g Butter, sugar & flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Fill the 8-inch cake tins ⅔ full and if there is any leftover batter then make a cupcake or two with it. Do not overfill the tins as they may overflow in the oven.
More Bueno cake filling
You will also need to increase the quantity of chocolate hazelnut frosting. Go with 1 ½ times the quantity specified in the recipe card:
- 375g Butter
- 190g Nutella
- 260g Icing sugar
- 75g Cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons Vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Double cream
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
You will also need additional Bueno bars for decoration - you will need 7-8 packets of 2 finger bars.
Frequently asked questions
Store your Bueno chocolate cake in an airtight container at room temperature. If it has been cut into, protect the exposed edges with food-wrap or foil. The cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days but the actual Kinder Bueno decorations may soften over time.
Yes, you can. I recommend freezing Kinder Bueno cake before adding the Bueno bars as decorations as these will be adversely affected in the freezer. When ready to serve it, pull the cake out of the freezer to defrost fully and then add the decorative Bueno bar pieces.
Add the Kinder Bueno bar decorations to your cake just before serving or a couple of hours ahead of serving. Leaving the bars whole also helps prevent them going soft - try sticking entire bars around the edge of the cake, alternating between the chocolate and white chocolate versions.
It is likely that the Bueno pieces sandwiched between the cake layers will soften after a few hours. Leave them out if you prefer to.
Kinder Bueno bars are not vegan so it is not possible to make vegan Bueno cake. Bueno bars also contain gluten so it is also not possible to make gluten-free Kinder Bueno cake.
More Indulgent Chocolate Cakes
If you like the sound of this Kinder Bueno chocolate cake you'll likely enjoy these decadent chocolate cakes too:
Have you made this Kinder Bueno chocolate cake? Please rate the recipe or leave a comment - I love hearing how you get along with my creations.
Stay in touch: sign up to receive LittleSugarSnaps newsletters to hear when new recipes are published. Or follow me on social media:
📖 Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send the link straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll receive my trusted recipes each week!
Kinder Bueno Cake
Equipment
- 3 x 6-inch baking tins approx 2-inches deep (these are smaller than regular cake tins - see notes on scaling up the quantities for 8-inch tins)
Ingredients
For two chocolate cake layers
- 120 g Baking margarine or softened butter
- 100 g Caster sugar white
- 2 Eggs large, free-range
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- 80 g Plain flour all-purpose flour
- 40 g Drinking chocolate powder e.g. Cadbury
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
For one vanilla cake layer
- 60 g Baking margarine or softened butter
- 60 g Caster sugar white
- 1 Egg large, free-range
- ½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 60 g Plain flour all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
Nutella buttercream
- 250 g Butter softened - room temperature
- 125 g Nutella or similar chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Double cream or milk
- 175 g Icing sugar
- 50 g Cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
Decoration
- 6 Kinder Bueno (2 finger packets) Milk chocolate/ White chocolate or a mix of both
Instructions
Preparation
- Grease & line three 6-inch baking tins with baking parchment.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/ 350℉.
- Soak baking bands in cold water (if using).
Make the chocolate cake & vanilla cake layers
- Chocolate cake: In a medium-sized mixing bowl use electric beaters to cream 120g margarine and 100g sugar together (2-3 minutes).120 g Baking margarine, 100 g Caster sugar
- Vanilla cake: In a small mixing bowl use electric beaters to cream 60g margarine and 60g sugar together until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).60 g Baking margarine, 60 g Caster sugar
- Chocolate cake: Add 1 egg at a time to the medium mixing bowl, beating well between each addition. Then beat in the vanilla extract and milk.2 Eggs, 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons Milk
- Vanilla cake: To the small mixing bowl add 1 egg, beat well then beat in the vanilla extract and milk.1 Egg, ½ tablespoon Vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon Milk
- Vanilla cake: Stir the 60g of plain flour and ½ teaspoon of baking powder together and sieve it into the small mixing bowl. Fold the flour in until no streaks remain. Be careful not to over-mix.60 g Plain flour, ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- Chocolate cake: Stir 80g flour, 40g Drinking chocolate powder and 1 teaspoon baking powder together and sieve it into the medium mixing bowl. Fold the flour in until no streaks remain. Be careful not to over-mix.80 g Plain flour, 40 g Drinking chocolate powder, 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- If using cake bands secure them to the sides of the baking tins now.
- Spoon the vanilla cake batter into one of the prepared baking tins and divide the chocolate cake batter between the remaining two baking tins. Transfer all three tins to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cakes are well risen and a cocktail stick poked into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cakes rest in the tins for 3 minutes then carefully take them out, remove the baking parchment and let the cake layers cool completely on wire racks.
Make the Nutella buttercream
- Use electric beaters to cream the butter and salt until very soft and smooth.250 g Butter, Pinch of salt
- Add the Nutella, vanilla extract and double cream. Beat until smooth.125 g Nutella, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons Double cream
- Sieve half of the icing sugar into the bowl and beat until smooth. Repeat with the remaining icing sugar.175 g Icing sugar
Assemble the cake
- When the cake layers are completely cold spread 1-2 tablespoons of buttercream over a layer of the chocolate cake.
- Roughly chop 2 fingers of Kinder Bueno (I use 1 finger of milk chocolate Bueno and 1 finger of white chocolate Bueno) and press the pieces into the buttercream. Top with the layer of vanilla sponge cake.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoon of buttercream over the vanilla cake and chop 2 more fingers of Kinder Bueno, pressing the pieces into the buttercream.
- Lay the final layer of chocolate cake on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining buttercream, piping rosettes on the top and small rosettes around the edge of the cake.
- Cut more Bueno bars up, pressing pieces into the rosettes for decoration.
Notes
- Use digital kitchen scales and grams to measure your ingredients. It's the most accurate method (the cup-method is highly inaccurate and should be avoided).
- Avoid making ingredient substitutions or omissions without careful consideration. Every ingredient in this Kinder chocolate cake recipe serves a specific purpose and removing or replacing one entirely could result in a disappointing bake.
- Use the tin size specified (three 6-inch round tins): Using tins that are too large will result in thin cake layers. See my notes for adapting the recipe for larger tins.
- Always grease your baking tins and use a circle of baking parchment to line the bases: Getting your cakes out will be so much easier if you do this, even if your tins are non-stick.
- Wait until the cake is completely cold before decorating it: If you spread the buttercream onto the cake when it is still warm the buttercream will melt.
How to increase the quantity for three 8-inch baking tins
Cake Batter
If you have the more typical 8-inch tins use the following measures for the two layers of chocolate cake:- 4 eggs
- 240g butter
- 200g Sugar
- 160g flour
- 80g Drinking chocolate powder
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 120g Butter, sugar & flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Bueno cake filling
You will also need to increase the quantity of chocolate hazelnut frosting. Go with 1½ times the quantity specified in the recipe card:- 375g Butter
- 190g Nutella
- 260g Icing sugar
- 75g Cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons Vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Double cream
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Patricia says
I made it today for my daughter's birthday.
Everybody liked it. Lovely flavour
Patricia says
Hello
I've have just found your recipe.
There is something I don't understand.
The Nutella buttercream ingredients doesn't mention cocoa powder, but then the Bueno Cake Filling(when you adapt the ingredients to 3 8-inch pans) mentions 75 grams cocoa powder.
Is it the buttercream and the filling the same thing?
Do I need the cocoa powder?
Many thanks
Jane Coupland says
Hi Patricia, thanks for bringing this omission to my attention - yes, you need cocoa powder in the buttercream, I'll add in the correct measure now - that's 50g if making the cake with 6-inch tins or 75g if making the scaled uyp version of 8-inch tins. Happy baking 🙂
Patricia says
Thank you very much
Jane Coupland says
I hope you enjoy this decadent cake - let me know how you decided to decorate it and what occasion you baked it for.