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Wide image of chocolate cupcake cut open and filled on a white plate with a spoon.

Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 17 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream
These easy Nutella cupcakes are made from scratch and are classic chocolate cupcakes, filled with the rich Nutella and topped off with creamy chocolate Nutella buttercream frosting.
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US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly: spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off - don't scoop and pack the flour into the cup)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed cocoa-FAQ section in the post for questions)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled down a bit
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk, near room temperature (or buttermilk-if using buttermilk, omit the lemon juice/vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 3 large eggs, near room temperature
  • ½ cup hot coffee or hot water (see FAQ section in the post for questions)

For the filling:

  • ½ cup Nutella

For the frosting:

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup Nutella
  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to two, 12-count cupcake pans and spray them with non-stick spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients for the cake (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and both sugars). Mix well with a whisk and set aside.
  • Add the milk and lemon juice (or white vinegar) to a measuring cup and mix well. Let sit for about 5 minutes. (You're basically making a buttermilk substitute by doing this, so if you have buttermilk, you can use that instead and just omit the lemon juice or vinegar.) If the mixture starts looking a little clumpy, it's fine.
  • Add these liquid ingredients (milk and lemon/vinegar mixture, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract and eggs) to a mixing bowl and whisk well. Do not add the coffee or hot water yet.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients to the bowl. (Not the hot coffee or water yet.) Mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed just until the ingredients are well combined. Be very careful not to mix too long as that will cause a dense, rubbery and possibly dry cake. Stop mixing once everything is well combined. Generally, mixing longer than a minute is too long.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about only 5-10 seconds more.
  • Add the hot coffee (or hot water) and mix until well combined.
  • Again, be careful not to over-mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about only 5-10 seconds more. Batter will be very thin. That's fine.
  • Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 17-20 minutes. Ovens vary. A toothpick inserted into the center of a few cupcakes should come out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter. If the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs and no raw batter, go ahead and remove the cupcakes from the oven. Overbaking cupcakes will cause them to be dry.
  • Set the cupcake pans on wire racks to cool for about ten minutes, then take cupcakes out of the pans and let cool completely on the wire racks before adding filing and frosting.

For the filling:

  • Once the cupcakes are cool. Fill each with Nutella. There are a couple ways you can do this.
  • Add a bismark piping tip (or a small to medium round tip) to a piping bag and fill with Nutella. Insert the piping tip into the center of the cupcake and squeeze until you see Nutella starting to peek out from the icing tip. You will need quite a bit of pressure to squeeze out the Nutella so make sure you have strong piping bags, or you can heat the nutella up just a bit but not too much or it will run out.
  • If you don't have piping tips or piping bags, just cut a small amount out of the center of each cupcake and add a teaspoon or so of Nutella. You can add back a bit of the amount you cut out once you fill the cupcake. It helps to warm the nutella up a bit as it's thick and hard to get off the spoon if you don't. It's also helpful to chill the cupcakes, in an airtight container, so that they don't crumble too much when cutting out a small section in the middle. Don't chill them too long though or they can dry out.
  • (Make sure to watch the video in this post to see how these two methods are done.)

For the frosting:

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.
  • Add the cocoa powder and mix on low until combined, then on medium until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
  • Add the confectioner's sugar and mix on low until combined, then on medium to medium-high until fully incorporated. The confectioner's sugar can be added a bit at a time, so it doesn't make a mess.
  • Add the Nutella and mix until well combined.
  • Check the consistency. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk and mix again. Repeat if needed to reach the desired consistency.
  • Once desired consistency is achieved, mix on medium-high for a couple minutes to make it light and fluffy.
  • Once the cupcakes are cooled and filled, add frosting to the tops. Frosting can be spooned on or use a piping bag and a tip to pipe it onto each cupcake.

Notes

*Dutch-processed cocoa is different from regular unsweetened cocoa powder. See the FAQs in this post for more detail on why it shouldn't be substituted.
How to Store: Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cupcakes tend to dry out quicker than other types of cakes, so these are best eaten within a few days. Storing cupcakes in the refrigerator can also cause them to dry out quicker and be more firm when eaten.
How to Serve: These cupcakes can be served at room temperature or warmed up just a bit.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you might have.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg