Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
Chocolate hazelnut cupcakes are decadently delicious and perfect for Nutella lovers! Made with moist dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with Nutella, swirled with chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting, and topped with a Ferrero Rocher. You simply can’t go wrong with these Nutella cupcakes!
Ingredients for Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate chips – Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Dark cocoa powder – Dark cocoa powder also adds a rich chocolate flavor to the cupcakes.
- Boiling water – Use boiling water to melt the chocolate chips and hydrate the dark cocoa powder.
- Instant espresso powder – Enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread – Use Nutella or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract adds another great layer of flavor in the buttercream.
- Salt – A pinch of salt contrasts the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream helps the buttercream whip up to be smooth and creamy.
Additional Ingredients
- Chocolate hazelnut spread
- Chopped hazelnuts
- Ferrero rocher candy
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Stir together the chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, boiling water, and instant espresso powder. Set aside to cool. Whisk the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add in the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Add in the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cupcakes:Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 2/3 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream: Whip the butter for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Turn the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Core the cupcakes to remove the center. Fill the cupcakes with chocolate hazelnut spread. Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the Nutella buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate with chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts, and Ferrero Rocher candies.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe.
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- Learn how to frost cupcakes and my favorite piping tips for frosting cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
How do you remove the center of the cupcake?
- My favorite way to remove the center of a cupcake is to use an apple corer. Plunge it into the center of the cupcake about 2/3 of the way down, twist, and remove.
- If you don’t have an apple corer, you can also use the larger end of a piping tip.
Other Recipes You Will Love
- Chocolate hazelnut cake
- Chocolate hazelnut cookies
- Double chocolate chip cookies
- Chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting
- Chocolate hazelnut dessert cups
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Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Chocolate hazelnut cupcakes are decadently delicious and perfect for Nutella lovers! Made with moist dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with Nutella, swirled with chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting, and topped with a Ferrero Rocher. You simply can't go wrong with these Nutella cupcakes!
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177 g) boiling water
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) instant espresso powder
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (150 g) chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
- 2 tbsp (30 g) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup (300 g) chocolate hazelnut spread divided
- 2 tbsp (20 g) chopped hazelnuts
- 12 (12) Ferrero Rocher candies
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, stir together the chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, boiling water, and instant espresso powder until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the batter is combined and smooth.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, approximately ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until it is light, pale, and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined with the butter. Add in the chocolate hazelnut spread, vanilla extract, and salt and mix to combine. Drizzle in heavy cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Mix the buttercream on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
- Remove the center of the cupcakes with an apple corer. Plunge the corer ⅔ of the way into the cupcakes, twist, and remove the center. Fill a piping bag with the tip cut off with chocolate hazelnut spread and pipe it into the center of the cupcakes.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto the cupcakes. Melt the remaining chocolate hazelnut spread in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate hazelnut spread over the frosted cupcakes and garnish with chopped hazelnuts and Ferrero Rocher candies.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Cupcakes were good!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!