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Today is World Nutella Day, so you knew there was no way I’d forgo posting something that utilizes this delicious Chocolate Hazlenut spread. As I have stated once or twice, I love Nutella and I’m pretty certain you could smear the stuff on a piece of cardboard and I’d be completely content!
Taking a simple chocolate cupcake recipe and filling the middle with that awesome Nutella lusciousness, definitely quenches that hazelnut craving that I get more frequently than I’d like to admit. Top off with Nutella buttercream, and these are truly irresistible to those Nutella fanatics that I know are plentiful! Just a word of caution…these babies are rich, so have a glass of milk near by and don’t be tempted to eat more than one in a single sitting.
This post is not your typical MBA post; meaning it’s not a complete recipe. This is more like a framework which will help you to build your Nutella masterpiece. Essentially, you’ll bake 24 chocolate cupcakes using your fave recipe and I’ll walk you through the rest! Sound like a plan? Alright, let’s get to it.
The Method:
I made one of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes according to the recipe directions (you’ll see my fave in an upcoming fundamentals post). Use whatever recipe floats your boat. Cool them completely.
- Hollow out a small circle in the center of each cupcake; I use an apple corer because I am anal and obsessed with symmetry. You can also use this piping tip from Wilton which allows you to inject things into cupcakes.
- Fill a piping bag with one 13-ounce jar of nutella. This sounds like a lot, but trust me, you’ll need to fill all of the cupcakes.
- Pipe the nutella into each hollowed center of the cupcake or if you’re using the tip method, simply push the tip down into the center of the cupcake, pipe in the filling until the cupcake swells slightly on the top.
- Prepare the Nutella Buttercream Recipe below and pipe it on your cupcakes.
- Top each frosted cupcake with a piece of chocolate hazelnut candy bar.
A Few Notes:
- New to making buttercream frosting? Check out my Fundamentals: Buttercream post.
- I piped the frosting using the large round tip.
- You can check out my video piping tutorial found in this post.
Looking for more Nutella Deliciousness? Check out these posts:
Mocha Shortbread with Nutella from My Baking Addiction
Nutella Crepes from Dine & Dish
Nutella Fudge Brownies from Wenderly
Recipe edited 7/1/12: Due to several readers have issues with the thickness of the frosting, we have adjusted the amount of confectioners’ sugar to 1.5 pounds. The thickness of the Nutella Buttercream will depend on the amount of heavy cream that is added.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1.5 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 6-8 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and Nutella until well combined, thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
- Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened.
- Add an additional 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency.
- Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Notes:
- This recipe will make enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 9 inch layer cake.
- You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more heavy cream or milk.
- Covered and refrigerated frosting can be stored for up to three days. Simply bring it to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream or milk to revive the consistency.
- Recipe edited 7/1/12: Due to several readers having issues with the thickness of the frosting, we have adjusted the amount of confectioners' sugar to 1.5 pounds. The thickness of the Nutella Buttercream will also depend on the amount of heavy cream that is added.
Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
I just finished making this recipe. The cupcakes themselves were delicious, but the buttercream had a little too much vanilla extract for my taste. However, this is my first time making a buttercream frosting from scratch, so maybe it was me. In the future, I will try to use less vanilla and see how that works. (I am not a big frosting eater, but my sister-in-law loves the stuff) I halved the frostng recipe and still had more than enough to generously frost all 24 of my cupcakes.
I just made these and they were FANTASTIC!
Hi Jamie!
You have a superb blog ! I made the nutella frosting for chocolate cupcakes , it was fab and everyone loved it . Thank you for the recipe. Hope to try more recipes from your blog.
I made chocolate cupcakes with Nutella filling & frosting. I found a gadget at Sur La Table that easily takes a piece of cupcake out so you can add the filling. I think next time I will mix Nutella with a little butter for the filling. How do I make the frosting a little less sweet? I used your recipe. Would like to send you a pic. They are really nice ( not as pretty as yours though)
YUM! I’ve been looking for a good Nutella cupcake recipe, and yours is perfect – thanks!
I made these cupcakes this afternoon with my go-to Black Magic Cake recipe. I only have one thing to say about this Nutella Buttercream—perfection. Think about it…is there anything better than Nutella in this world? Not in my book. Jamie, every recipe I have tried of yours has turned out magnificent, and this one is just the icing on the (cup)cake! I really am grateful to have found you and your exceptionally delicious recipes on the web, and I hope that you will continue sharing your tasty treats and tips with us all! Thank you so much!
Anna Claire-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cupcakes – thanks so much for stopping back and leaving your feedback on the recipe! Have a great day.
-Jamie
I just made these cupcakes for my sister’s bridal shower, which will be tomorrow afternoon. Hoping they hold up overnight without refrigeration. The taste test was AmAzInG!!!! This is a great recipe, definitely will do it again! Thank you for sharing. And the piping was definitely harder than I thought….next time I will get the tip you suggested for the ones pictured, which look like perfection. Awesome job!! =D
Kristin-
I am so happy to hear the cupcakes turned out so well! Thanks for coming back and commenting on your experience with the recipe. Have a great day!
-Jamie
I’m so glad I read the notes and thankful that you add an “edited” field. I did not need 1.5 lbs of confectioner’s sugar and if I had not read that I might have been in a hurry, like I usually am since becoming a new mom, and just dumped the whole thing in. Good stuff, but we all agreed… there wasn’t as much nutella presence as we expected. I used the real stuff too. Still very tasty and didn’t last long at all on my counter.
I used 1.5 lbs of confectioners sugar and still thought it was too thick! I ended up not using all that I had measured out. But it was very delcious and my whole family loved it!!
do you think I can submit a photo of mine as well to add to the photos? (:
Thanks
– Ani