Yes, you read that right. I made you cupcakes. Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes, to be exact.
Do you guys remember last Friday when I posted about that amazing looking cake? Well, Liv wound up suggesting that I try making them into cupcakes, and it really got me thinking. I mean, man, would that make a serious cupcake or what?
Then I realized just how long it’s been since I gave you guys a cupcake recipe. I’d say it must be well over a year, right? Probably even before Lucas was born…and I used to be the cupcake queen! Hey, maybe this is the start of reigniting the cupcake obsession again?
I am so, so glad I decided to take the time to give these babies a whirl. I’m not going to lie; they’re going to take a teeny bit more time than a boxed cake mix recipe. But the end result is well worth the little added effort.
If you are in a hurry, you could always save some time by making a boxed chocolate cake mix and then doing the Nutella frosting and chocolate ganache. And speaking of which…yes, let’s talk about those.
The Nutella frosting is absolutely decadent. That’s all you need to know about that.
And the recipe is actually going to make more than you need. I’m tempted to say you could cut that portion of the recipe in half, but I’m always worried about not having enough. And if you ask me, it’s always better to have too much than not enough.
The chocolate ganache layer comes together with just a couple of simple steps, and it pairs perfectly with both the rich, chocolate cake and the light and fluffy Nutella frosting.
I mean, you can never go wrong with drippy chocolate. Right?
Now when you scroll down and see the recipe, don’t let the length of it scare you away. Like I said, there are a few extra steps with these, but I promise you it’s not as long as it looks. Plus, they are just totally worth it.
Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life
Yields 24
Moist chocolate cake, stuffed with a creamy, decadent Nutella mousse filling, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. Everything about these cupcakes screams 'make me now!'
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 1/2 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup Nutella hazelnut spread
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F and fill two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk through to combine well.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together until well combined (you can also use a stand mixer and mix on medium). Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat quickly for about 1 minute to add air to the batter (you can also use a stand mixer and mix on high).
- Evenly distribute cake batter so each cupcake liner is about 3/4ths full.
- Place in the oven and bake 13-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Beat together butter and shortening until smooth, then add Nutella and mix until combined.
- Slowly add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add 2-3 tbsp of milk and mix until smooth.
- Add the fifth cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If more milk is needed, add a teaspoon at a time to reach your desired consistency (it should be stiff but light).
- Using a small paring knife, cut small holes out of the middle of each cupcake, being careful not to reach the bottom of the cupcake. Place removed pieces of cupcake to the side.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tip (or a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off) with the Nutella filling.
- Slowly fill each cupcake with the Nutella filling up to the very top of the cupcake. Set extras aside.
- Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
- Heat heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it just starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Do not stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir chocolate and cream until smooth, and let sit an additional 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Spoon chocolate ganache over the top of each cupcake. Top each cupcake with remaining icing (if using a pastry bag, a medium star tip will work great) and sprinkles, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tbsp lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5-10 mins.
Recipes adapted from this recipe and this recipe.
So…do I have any other Nutella lovers out there? 
If so, be sure to check out my Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!
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