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Chocolate hazelnut cupcakes filled with nutella hazelnut filling and frosted with a chocolate hazelnut buttercream feature photo.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

Lisa Flinn
These Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes feature moist dark chocolate cake, an irresistible filling that combines creamy chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and crispy feuilletine flakes, and then topped with a velvety hazelnut buttercream. 
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Course Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine American
Yields 13 to 15 Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ Cup (42g) Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder (optional, but recommended)
  • ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 Cup (200g) C&H® Baker's Sugar™
  • ⅓ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (80g) Neutral Oil (avocado, vegetable, canola)
  • ⅓ Cup (76g) Full-Fat Sour Cream room temp
  • 1 Whole Large Egg room temp
  • 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ Cup (113g) Boiling Water

Chocolate Hazelnut Filling

  • ⅔ Cup (200g) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
  • ¼ Cup (32g) Whole Hazelnuts Finely Chopped
  • ¼ Cup (20g) Feuilletine Flakes (optional, but recommended)

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream

  • ¾ Cup (170g) Unsalted Butter softened
  • ⅓ Cup (100g) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
  • 2 Tablespoons (28g) Sour Cream cold is fine
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ⅛ Teaspoon Fine Salt
  • ⅓ Cup (28g) Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder sifted
  • 1 ½ Cup (169g) C&H® Powdered Sugar sifted

Instructions
 

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Add paper liners to a cupcake tin. This recipe makes about 13 to 15 cupcakes, so you can line another cupcake pan with a few extra liners or bake in batches.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, Dutch cocoa powder, fine espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
    ½ Cup (42g) Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
    1 Teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder (optional, but recommended)
    ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
    ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
    ½ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • In a large bowl and using a hand whisk, whisk together sugar, oil, egg, sour cream and vanilla until well combined.
    1 Cup (200g) C&H® Baker's Sugar™
    ⅓ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (80g) Neutral Oil (avocado, vegetable, canola)
    ⅓ Cup (76g) Full-Fat Sour Cream
    1 Whole Large Egg
    1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • Sift in the dry ingredients, ensuring the cocoa powder lumps are push through the sieve. Gently whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until nearly incorporated. Add boiling hot water and gently whisk until just combined. The batter will thin out a bit. Do not overmix.
    ½ Cup (113g) Boiling Water
  • Scoop and fill each cupcake cavity ⅔rds full. Lift and drop the pan off the counter a few times to knock out any air bubbles. Bake for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Every oven is different so timing can vary for you. If you only have 1 cupcake pan, cover the remaining batter with a kitchen towel to bake after.
  • Let cupcakes sit in the pan for a minute, then carefully remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Hazelnut Filling

  • In a small bowl, combine together chocolate hazelnut spread, finely chopped hazelnuts and feuilletine flakes (if using). Set aside.
    ⅔ Cup (200g) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
    ¼ Cup (32g) Whole Hazelnuts
    ¼ Cup (20g) Feuilletine Flakes (optional, but recommended)

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream

  • Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand-held mixer, whip softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Then add chocolate hazelnut spread, sour cream, vanilla extract and fine salt, and continue mixing until combined.
    ¾ Cup (170g) Unsalted Butter
    ⅓ Cup (100g) Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
    2 Tablespoons (28g) Sour Cream
    1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    ⅛ Teaspoon Fine Salt
  • Next, sift in cocoa powder and C&H® Powdered Sugar. Starting on low speed then gradually increasing to medium speed, whip until light and fluffy. If you’d like a sweeter or thicker frosting, add a bit more powdered sugar. Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip.
    ⅓ Cup (28g) Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
    1 ½ Cup (169g) C&H® Powdered Sugar
  • Using a paring knife, cut a circle in the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a pocket about 1 inch deep. Spoon or pipe about 2 teaspoons of the filling into each cupcake, then top with the piece of cupcake you removed. Pipe the cupcakes with the frosting and garnish with extra chopped hazelnuts if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - Make sure to use Dutch-process Cocoa Powder and not natural cocoa powder for this recipe.  Droste, Rodelle, Ghiradelli and Hershey's Special Dark  are all great Dutch cocoa powders that I have enjoyed using. 
Do Not Overfill Cupcakes - Fill cupcake cavities ⅔rds full. I used a #20 cookie scoop, which holds about 3 tablespoons of batter.
Doneness - Every oven runs different, so doneness can vary from 15 to 18 minutes. Overfilling can also add a few extra minutes. Cupcakes are ready when an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops should also spring back when lightly touched.
Feuilletine Flakes - If you are not using feuilletine flakes, you can add a bit more chopped hazelnuts.
Storage - Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can enjoy it cold from the fridge or let it come to room temperature.
Keyword chocolate cupcakes, chocolate hazelnut, cupcakes, dutch cocoa powder, hazelnut cupcakes
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