Can I Use Cashew Nut Butter Or Nutella For The Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake?

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) is a moist chocolate sponge that is filled and frosted with a creamy peanut buttercream. The frosting uses regular smooth (creamy) peanut butter and not the "natural" type that is made only from ground nuts.

Cashew nuts have a very different flavour to peanuts, so you would have to remember that the taste of the cake will be very different and we are not sure if they will work quite as well. But if you are allergic to peanuts and not cashews then it could be a possibility. However, you need to find a cashew nut butter that is a mixture of nuts and oil and not a whole nut variery. Look for a brand with 96% nuts. Also make sure that the texture of the cashew nut butter is very smooth and not grainy. Nutella has a very different balance of nuts and oil and also incudes cocoa and milk, so is not a direct substitute for peanut butter. But we would recommend trying Nigella's Nutella Cheesecake.