Chocolate Hazelnut Lemon Curd Raspberry Layer Cake

A Towering Tribute to One Sweet Little Boy

A First Birthday Cake Worthy of a Very Loved Little Boy

This one absolutely does not make a quiet, little, whispering entrance to the party. It towers over the top of my little Oden’s first birthday party!

It is unapologetically over the top: extravagant and decadent in every possible way, and honestly, how could it be anything less? When it comes to cooking, baking, or gift‑giving, “understated” has never been in my vocabulary. I love to give, and I love to give big. Dreaming big, baking big, loving big: it’s all the same energy.

And this time, that energy was poured straight into celebrating one very special little boy: Oden.

The Cake That Was Promised

I may have planned this cake embarrassingly early. As in, shortly after Oden was born. I’m pretty sure I begged (or boldly declared) that I would be baking his first birthday cake. I am Auntie Ashley, after all, and baking a cake is the absolute least I can do for this sweet cutie pie.

Over the past year, his mom, Timka, and I tossed around flavor ideas. Let’s be honest: Oden wasn’t going to care about flavor profiles or fillings. (Side note: a few weeks ago, he had his very first sweet treat ever — one of my cookies. Timka said she’d only allow it because she knows I bake with the best ingredients and my secret ingredient, LOVE, is always involved. She’s not wrong.)

Eventually, she landed on a combination that felt celebratory, bright, and a little unexpected: Chocolate layer cake with a lemon filling, fresh raspberries, and LSU‑themed decorations — a nod to Oden’s dad, who’s currently in law school there. Purple and gold, with a lion‑ish mascot. She promised to handle the lion decor; I promised to handle the rest.

Building the Extravagance

The final creation was nothing short of marvelous:

• Three layers of chocolate hazelnut cream cake
• Lemon curd mascarpone mousse and fresh raspberries filling
• Vanilla buttercream frosting
• Purple and yellow buttercream flowers for decor
• A finishing of edible gold flakes and shaved chocolate (because more chocolate is always the right choice for Timka)

When I say this cake weighs pounds and pounds, I mean it. It’s huge. This is intentional, as the cake is built to feed the crowd gathering to celebrate the life of this sweet boy who has brought so much joy into the world in just one year.

A Gift from the Heart

I’m deeply honored to be part of Oden’s life and to gift this family something as joyful and extravagant as this cake. Baking for the people I love is one of my greatest pleasures, and this cake felt like a celebration not just of his first year, but of the love surrounding him.

Here’s to Oden — to his first birthday, to many more sweet moments ahead, and to cakes that are always just a little (or a lot) over the top.

Chocolate Hazelnut Lemon Curd Raspberry Layer Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 ½ cups butter, room temperature
12 oz. (1 jar) chocolate hazelnut butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Lemon Curd Mascarpone Filling:
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
12 oz. Bonne Maman Lemon Curd
1 tsp. vanilla extract
16-20 oz. fresh raspberries

Vanilla Buttercream:
2 lbs. butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting Flowers:
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbs. heavy cream
yellow and purple gel food coloring

Guittard dark chocolate bar
edible gold flakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line three 8” cake pans with oil and then parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and beat until well incorporated.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Next, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix until fully combined.

Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared baking pans, dividing into thirds.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, invert the cake pans and release the cakes, cooling completely for several hours – chilling overnight or freezing for several days (or weeks).

Once ready to “fill,” remove from the fridge or freezer and prepare the Lemon Curd Mascarpone Filling.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the mascarpone, lemon curd, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Place a layer of chocolate cake on a cake spinner and top with ½ of Lemon Curd Mascarpone Filling.

Delicately cover with fresh raspberries in a circular pattern.
Top with the next layer of cake and the last of the Lemon Curd Filling. Decorate with a round of raspberries again.

Finally, top with the last layer of chocolate cake.

Prepare the Vanilla Buttercream by creaming together all ingredients for at least 10-15 minutes, until smooth.

Cover the layered cake with a thin “crumb” layer of frosting, and chill for several hours.

Next, cover the entire cake with the remaining Vanilla Buttercream, smoothing out all sides.

Chill, once again.

Meanwhile, prepare the colored buttercream by splitting the recipe in two and dousing it with gel food coloring, mixing together with a spoon.

Fill icing bags with colored frosting and, using whichever frosting tip you desire, pipe floral décor atop the iced cake.

Sprinkle with edible gold flakes and shaved chocolate.

Perfect.

THIS will serve a crowd, and THIS will definitely PLEASE a crowd!