Super moist and rich homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with creamy Nutella frosting.
Well well well. What do we have here? Did a huge scoop of Nutella fall into my buttercream? Oh yes it did.
And well, the result is far better than “tasty.” In fact, the word “delicious” won’t even do this Nutella frosting justice. It is, by far, the best frosting in the entire world. The creamiest, Nutellaiest (I invented a new word today), and the softest frosting ever.
I’ve already introduced you to my homemade chocolate cupcakes with mint chocolate chip frosting. If you’re new around these parts, you don’t want to miss that post. The cupcakes are very simple to make with easy, convenient ingredients. They are moist with an intense chocolate flavor. Be careful not to overbake them because they will quickly dry out.
I used the same chocolate cupcake recipe for today’s cupcakes. Chocolate cupcake + Nutella frosting. Chocolate on top of chocolate!
Doesn’t the frosting look like fluffy chocolate mousse? Well, that’s what it tastes like too. I love it so much that I have a completely separate post for it. Use this Nutella frosting on anything and everything including vanilla cupcakes and coconut cake, too!
Nutella Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Start with room temperature butter here. Remember that room temperature butter is cooler than you think. If the butter is too warm, the Nutella frosting will taste greasy.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Confectioner’s sugar is the bulk of this frosting, sweetening it and binding the ingredients together.
- Nutella: Chocolate hazelnut spread is the real money maker here! Tip: if you’re not using a fresh jar, the Nutella can get a little thick and clumpy. Give it a good stir before measuring and using in this recipe.
- Heavy Cream or Milk: Liquid thins out and adds creaminess to the frosting. You can use heavy cream or milk, dairy or nondairy. I prefer heavy cream for an extra creamy texture.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both add incredible flavor.
Frost the cupcakes however you’d like. I like to pile the frosting nice and high. I’ll take my frosting with a side of cupcake, not the other way around. And I think many of you agree with me. ๐ Decorate with all sorts of goodies! I used M&Ms, but I have a feeling Reese’s Pieces, chopped hazelnuts, coconut, or peanut butter chips would be fabulous accessories for the cupcakes.
What’s not to love here?
Print
Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Nutella Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 14 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super moist and rich homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with creamy Nutella buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Creamy Nutella Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (460g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (225g) Nutella
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- optional: decorative candies
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 375ยฐF (191ยฐC). Line 14 cups from 2 12-count muffin pans with liners.
- Over high heat, boil the water in a small saucepan. Pour the unsweetened cocoa powder into a medium sized bowl and mix with boiling water until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature by placing in the refrigerator as you prepare the other ingredients.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat only until *just* combined. In a steady stream, add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
- Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 16-19 minutes, keeping an eye on them to avoid even the slightest burning (which will lend dry cupcakes). My cupcakes took 17 minutes and a toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add confectioners’ sugar, Nutella, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectionersโ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I always add 1/8 teaspoon salt.)
- Frost cooled cupcakes with a piping tip, knife, or icing spatula. I used Wilton #12 round tip. Decorate with candies, if desired.
- Serve immediately. Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Plain cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Bring cupcakes and buttercream to room temperature before frosting. Freeze frosted or unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton #12 Round Tip
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakesย before you begin!
See all Nutella recipes.
See all cupcake recipes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Iโve had this recipe for years and it was one of the first recipes I made from you! Love!!
I havenโt made it in quite some time, so I thought I would revisit this weekend.
I noticed the original recipe called for 2 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting. But this updated recipe calls for 4 cups. I then referenced your cookbook which also stated 2 cups of powdered sugar and Nutella frosting. Can you kindly advise which is correct?
Hi Steph! I’m so glad you asked this. The Nutella frosting in my 1st cookbook is fantastic, but it’s prone to separating. That’s why I added more confectioners’ sugar. It smooths the frosting out, but keeps it thick. You can absolutely reduce the sugar back down, if that is how you prefer it! Sorry for any confusion.
Awesome, Sally! This totally makes sense. I appreciate the clarification.
Many thanks for all your recipes throughout the years. Every recipe is perfection. I have lost count of how many Iโve made. You are my go-to for everything dessert!
Can I add espresso powder to this recipe ? How much would you recommend?
Hi Jen, Absolutely! We recommend 1 teaspoon of espresso powder.
If you only have 2% milk on hand, could you use that for the frosting?
Hi Nikki, that will work in a pinch. The frosting may not be a rich and creamy, but will work just fine!
Any chance you could use a cup of hot coffee instead of the water?
Absolutely!
could I make this in a cake or loaf pan?
Hi Kimberly, this cupcakes recipe would work well as a three layer 6 inch cake. You can read more about using cupcake recipes for 6 inch cakes in this post.
Hi Sally,
My name is Daisy and I am 10 years old. I love to bake and want to be just like you! I also love your recipes and bake them all the time. Thank you so much!
-Daisy
Sally, I love love looooove this frosting! I doubled the recipe to fill snd frost a three-layer nutella chocolate cake, and I actually ended up with enough frosting to lightly frost a dozen cupcakes. Of course, the cake was for my mom’s birthday, and she doesn’t really like frosting at all, so I did a pretty thin layer. I added around 1/2-3/4 cup additional nutella, as well as around 1/2 cup cocoa powder because the frosting tasted overly buttery to me (maybe my butter was too soft? It was very soft when I added it in). But overall, love the taste and texture of this frosting!
Sounds perfect! This is definitely one of my favorite frosting recipes. It’s so creamy!
This is probably my favourite recipe so far! Used the same quantity to make a birthday cake and it was really appreciated. Very moist and super tasty. Thanks Sally!
I was making cupcakes for a friend of my grandson’s birthday. ย He is a nutella-aholic, so I googled nutella recipes and came across this one. ย Never having visited your blog before, I checked out some of your writing and was suitably impressed. ย Needless to say this recipe has gone to the top of my list. ย I give it 5 stars. ย It was delicious and your admonition to make sure the cupcakes do not get overbaked was followed, as well as the whipping of the room temperature butter and the addition of heavy cream. ย Delish!!!!!! ย Many thanks, I will be checking out more of your recipes in the future.
Undoubtedly, hands down the BEST cupcakes I have ever had. I added white and dark chocolate chips and it was chocolate heaven! My 7 & 6 year old declared it as the best I have ever baked. It’s so moist and easy!ย
Thank you!ย
The moistest and tastiest ever chocolate cupcake I have ever made AND the frosting is nothing short of heavenly. My girls couldn’t get enough of them. So easy to make too. ย Thank you for sharing.ย
Hi Sally!
Will the nutella frosting work with your triple chocolate layer cake?
Thanks!
Definitely. Enjoy!
I made these cupcakes yesterday. So far only positive feedback on the cupcakes but everyone LOVES the frosting! I will be making them again!
I just wanted to share with you that I made these yesterday for my birthday party and they were honestly the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever had. Everyone at the party absolutely loved them. The cake is the perfect mix of fluffy and moist and the whipped nature of the frosting paired perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Thanks for the fabulous recipe! I experimented with several recipes to use for my daughter’s wedding reception and my taste tester (my husband) loved this one although he’d initially been a little skeptical about the Nutella. I used this on the cakes I made for my daughter’s wedding reception. Chilled, it cuts beautifully.
The best chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever made. Went down a treat! Everybody loved them. Thanks for the great recipe