These moist chocolate Nutella cupcakes pack tons of flavor with a silky smooth chocolate hazelnut frosting on top.
You will love the frosting on these cupcakes. Just look how silky and shiny it is swirled up high on perfect chocolate cupcakes! It is light and smooth against the moist, fudge cupcakes.
The frosting uses a base of Swiss meringue buttercream. This type of buttercream uses whipped egg whites and softened butter to create a smooth, not-so-sweet frosting.
I love how this chocolate frosting has tons of flavor without being too heavy or overly fudgy. Simply add Nutella and a bit of cocoa powder to the buttercream base.
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Ingredients
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Granulates sugar
- Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
- Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Dark chocolate
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Instant espresso (or use hot coffee in place of the water)
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools and Equipment
Here are some of the kitchen tools you will need to bake these cupcakes:
- Saucepan
- Stand mixer
- Cupcake liners
- Muffin tin
- Piping bag and star tip
- General kitchen tools (spatula, measuring cups, etc)
About Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This meringue-based frosting combines whipped egg whites with softened butter. Its silkiness and stability makes it a preferred choice for most cakes and cupcakes.
To make Swiss meringue, the egg whites and sugar are gently heated over a water bath. From here, they are whipped up until shiny, stiff peaks. Add softened butter and different flavorings to make the perfect buttercream.
I love Swiss meringue because you get all the benefits of a meringue-based frosting (silky and not-so-sweet), but without boiling sugar and need for a candy thermometer.
Substitutions
Instant espresso - you may skip the instant espresso in the cupcakes and use an equal amount of very hot coffee instead of the hot water to bloom the cocoa powder.
Sour cream - you may use equal parts buttermilk for a similar taste and texture.
Variations
Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes - swap the chocolate base with fluffy vanilla cupcakes and the same delicious Nutella buttercream.
Angel Food Nutella Cupcakes - for the lightest, cloud-like version of this Nutella cupcake, use Angel Food for the base!
Recipe FAQs
No, unfortunately you can’t use natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-processed. One is acidic while the other is neutral. You could try in a pinch, but understand that it will change the results.
You definitely can! I highly recommend it the coffee, though, and I promise that you won’t taste coffee in the baked cupcakes. But if you don’t have any, then proceed with hot water.
Unfrosted cupcakes may be frozen. Wrap bundles of about 6 cupcakes in plastic wrap then place them in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before frosting.
Serving and Storage
This recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Serve them at room temperature.
Store the cupcakes at room temperature in a cake box or air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Unfrosted cupcakes may be frozen. Wrap bundles of about 6 cupcakes in plastic wrap then place them in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before frosting.
Swiss meringue buttercream may be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Allow to come to room temperature before remixing.
Freeze Swiss meringue buttercream for up to 3 months.
Baker's Notes
- If after the butter has been added and the buttercream appears to be curdled, the butter was probably too cold. In this case, just keep mixing! This might take up to 10 minutes.
- If the buttercream remains “broken” even after a lengthy mix time, try gently reheating the buttercream over a double-boiler then mixing again.
- If after the butter has been added and the buttercream turns soupy, the butter was probably too warm or the meringue didn’t completely cool before the butter was added. Pop everything (the bowl and buttercream) into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes then mix until smooth.
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MORE CHOCOLATE RECIPES TO TRY
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
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Recipe
Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 4 ounces dark chocolate (70%) chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed
- 1 ¼ cup boiling water or very hot coffee
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tea baking soda
- ½ tea baking powder
- ½ tea salt
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso optional
- 1 cup unsalted butter very soft
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tea vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
Nutella Buttercream
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 tea vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Nutella
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- chopped hazelnuts for topping
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup. Pour in the hot water or coffee and stir to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and instant espresso (if using), and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl and hand mixer), mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla then the eggs, mixing in between each one until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in half of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated (a few steaks of flour should remain). Add in the sour cream or buttermilk and mix to combine. Add in the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add in the chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
- Using a mechanical ice cream scoop or disher, fill the cupcake liners between ⅔ and ¾ of the way full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Completely cool the cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting.
To Make the Nutella Buttercream
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand until just combined. Fill a saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double-boiler and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Whisking intermittently, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 160°F on a candy thermometer.
- Carefully remove the bowl and place it on the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form and the outside of the mixing bowl returns to room temperature, about 8 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add in the butter, a couple tablespoons at time. Once all of the butter has been added, stop the mixer and switch the whisk for the paddle attachment.
- Mix the buttercream on medium speed until the butter is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla extract, chocolate-hazelnut spread, and cocoa. On medium speed, mix to combine. Decrease the speed to low and mix until silky and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a large star top (1M used here) to swirl the buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Top with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.
Holly
The frosting is to die for! I love Nutella so much and these were perfect for my son's birthday. Thank you!
stylesweet
Hi! Thank you for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!