Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting
These Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting have deep chocolate flavor, plush texture, and creamy hazelnut richness. The cupcakes bake up soft and moist with a tender crumb, and the Nutella buttercream adds smooth milk chocolate-hazelnut flavor. Each cupcake is crowned with chopped hazelnuts and a Ferrero Rocher truffle on top.Please note the reduced baking temperature for the cupcakes. They bake low and slow at 300°F for about 25 minutes. See recipe notes for details.
Equipment
- Cupcake pans (2)
- 15 paper cupcake liners
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- cooling rack
- disposable piping bag
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil I like sunflower
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup hot coffee see recipe notes
Nutella Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 cup ground or finely chopped hazelnuts
- 15 Ferrero Rocher milk chocolate truffles unwrapped
Instructions
For the chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line cupcake pans with 15 paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, salt, and sifted cocoa powder until everything is evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Using a hand mixer on low speed, beat until the batter is just combined and no dry streaks remain, then scrape down the bowl and mix once more.
- Pour in the hot coffee and mix again on low speed until the batter is completely blended; it will be thin. Portion the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each one only halfway full. Use a level 1/4 cup measure per cupcake to ensure even baking and a full yield of 15 cupcakes.
- Bake for 24–26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. The cupcakes will be very soft while warm; allow them to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Nutella Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the butter until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, beginning on low speed until incorporated and then increasing to high speed. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the Nutella and fine sea salt and mix again until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed, until a smooth cocoa-colored frosting forms. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large French decorator tip.
- Pipe a generous double swirl of frosting onto each cooled cupcake, sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, and top each cupcake with a Ferrero Rocher truffle.
Notes
Hot Coffee Swap: Replace the hot coffee with hot water, if you prefer. However, the coffee flavor is not detectable, and makes the chocolate cupcake taste more chocolaty. (Recommend!)
Low Baking Temp: The cupcakes are intentionally baked at 300°F, which is lower than most cupcake recipes. This gentler baking temperature helps them stay soft and moist with a tender crumb. The batter will be very thin once the hot coffee is added; this is expected. The coffee deepens the chocolate flavor and enhances the cocoa, but hot water may be substituted if preferred. The tablespoon of cornstarch in the batter softens the texture of the cupcakes by lowering the protein percentage of the flour, giving them a finer, more tender crumb.
Doneness Tests: A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. OR lightly press the top of a cupcake; it should spring back when baked through.
Storage: Unfrosted cupcakes may be stored covered at room temperature for up to two days or frozen for up to two months. Once frosted, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days. Allow chilled cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving so the crumb softens and the Nutella frosting becomes silky again. Add the Ferrero Rocher truffles just before serving to keep their delicate crunch.
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