Description
Delicious and moist Nutella cupcakes with a rich homemade pastry cream filling and smooth Nutella frosting. These chocolate cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and infused with coffee for deeper flavor, topped with a luscious Nutella buttercream and filled with creamy Nutella for the perfect treat any time of day.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 50 g Whole milk
- 50 g Granulated sugar
- 40 g Egg yolk (approx. 2 yolks)
- 12 g Corn starch
- 12 g All purpose flour
- 25 g Dark chocolate (semi-sweet, finely chopped)
Nutella Frosting
- 75 g Nutella
- 75 g Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 8 g Cocoa powder (unsweetened, Dutch processed)
- 80 g Nutella (gently melted, for folding in)
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 90 g Unsalted butter (soft, room temperature)
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg (room temperature)
- 80 g All purpose flour
- 45 g Cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 65 g Whole milk (room temperature)
- 60 g Coffee (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon White vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
Instructions
- Make the Pastry Cream: In a bowl, whisk together sugar and egg yolks for 1-2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Add corn starch and flour, mixing until a smooth paste forms.
- Heat Milk: In a saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat.
- Combine Mixtures: Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously with a hand whisk. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute after boiling. It may initially get lumpy; continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
- Add Chocolate: Incorporate the chopped dark chocolate in three stages using a rubber spatula until fully melted and smooth.
- Cool Pastry Cream: Transfer the pastry cream to a shallow bowl, cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, and let it cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the Nutella Frosting: Whip room temperature unsalted butter for a few minutes until creamy. Add cocoa powder and 75 g Nutella, and whip for 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Add Pastry Cream: Gradually fold the room temperature pastry cream into the frosting in four stages, mixing until the frosting is stable and fluffy but not runny.
- Chill the Frosting: Place the frosting in the refrigerator while preparing the cupcakes to help it firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Heat the oven to 175°C (347°F).
- Make Cupcake Batter: Using an electric hand mixer, cream the soft butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and mix briefly to combine without overbeating.
- Prepare Dry and Wet Ingredients: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder (dry ingredients). In a separate bowl, combine whole milk and coffee (wet ingredients).
- Add Ingredients to Batter: Gently fold the ingredients into the batter in the following order: wet, dry, wet, and dry. Use a rubber spatula to carefully fold each addition until smooth, finishing with the dry ingredients.
- Add Vinegar and Baking Soda: Mix vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl until bubbly, then immediately fold this mixture into the cupcake batter to keep cupcakes soft without a vinegar taste.
- Fill Cupcake Pan: Spoon or pipe the batter into a cupcake pan, filling each cup approximately three-quarters full. This recipe yields 6 large cupcakes.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a rack completely before filling and frosting.
- Fill Cupcakes: Using a small knife or tool, remove a small portion from the center of each cupcake and fill with gently warmed Nutella to create a creamy center.
- Frost Cupcakes: Pipe the chilled Nutella frosting on top of each cupcake and decorate with hazelnuts or preferred toppings.
- Storage: Store the assembled cupcakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for best freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure all dairy ingredients (butter, milk, egg) are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- Gently warm Nutella before filling to achieve a smooth, runny texture for easy filling.
- Do not overbeat the batter after adding the egg to prevent dense cupcakes.
- Cover pastry cream surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin formation while cooling.
- The vinegar and baking soda help keep cupcakes soft without adding a vinegar taste.
- Use high-quality cocoa and chocolate for a richer chocolate flavor.
- Store cupcakes refrigerated and consume within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
