Nutella, the chocolate-hazelnut spread, is popular in numerous countries and most certainly here in America! Today’s Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes are a dream come true. Luscious chocolate cupcakes are filled with a decadent Nutella mousse and then they are topped with beautiful Nutella buttercream frosting. Pure heaven in every bite!
If you’ve never tried Nutella, it is popular on toast in the morning, stuffed into croissants, and in desserts like today’s cupcakes. It is milk chocolate, sweet, with a distinct flavor of hazelnuts in every bite. I have to admit it is rather addicting, especially for your little ones who love sweets!
Cupcake corer available online
If you want to control the sugar content and other ingredients, you can make your own from scratch. I took the easy way out this time, but feel free to make your own delightful concoction! Here is an easy recipe for you to try from a friend that I trust completely!
Shortcuts: If you are short on time, you can skip the mousse and fill these cupcakes with plain Nutella. Also, if it seems too much for one day, you can make the cupcakes on one day, then core, fill, and frost them the next day.
Mousse filled cupcakes ready for the frosting
The Nutella mousse that I am using to fill the cupcakes is another luscious component you will love. A snap to make, it whips up in no time and will be ready for filling quickly. Nutella mixed with whipped cream for a light and oh so special surprise in every bite of the cupcakes!
If you want an easy shortcut, feel free to use a boxed cake mix to make the cupcakes. This simplifies some of the work to get these cupcakes made and assembled. You can make the mousse and frosting while the cupcakes are cooling!
The original recipe calls for straight Nutella spooned into the core of the cupcakes but I thought the mousse would make a less intense bite and a different application of the Nutella. Feel free to use plain Nutella as the filling – one less step.
Be sure to cool the cupcakes thoroughly before coring and filling them. If there is any warmth left in the center, the mousse will melt!
Cupcake cut in half to show the Nutella mousse filling and frosting
To core the cupcakes, punch or cut out the center of the top of each cupcake. This creates a hole for the mousse. And don’t worry about it showing, the frosting will cover it beautifully!
Because Halloween is in a few days, I decorated my cupcakes with fun sugar eyes and chopped hazelnuts for the hair to put a smile on everyone’s faces. These are also lovely with just a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts over the piped frosting tops for a more elegant look and delightful texture.
Rainbow sprinkles would be extra fun for birthday parties. They always make everything look so festive!
I really hope you give these Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes a try for your next event or special occasion. They are decadent and indulgent in all the best ways. Everyone will love them!!
Have a terrific week and I’ll see you back here on Friday when I am sharing another incredible savory recipe!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes:
- Chocolate Cupcakes: GF all-purpose flour blend or regular flour, sugar, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, bourbon plus milk or coffee
- Nutella Mousse: heavy cream, sugar, Nutella
- Nutella Buttercream: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, butter, Nutella, vanilla, salt, heavy cream
PRO Tip:
You will note that I do not recommend using Dark or Dutch Process cocoa powder in this recipe. Dark cocoas don’t play well with baking soda, you could wind up with a soapy tasting cupcake!! Stick with natural cocoa like Hershey’s brand for the best results.
PRO Tip:
If you have some leftover cupcake batter, you can bake it in a buttered ramekin beside the pan of cupcakes. It may take a minute or two longer than the cupcakes. Look for it to pull away from the sides and a toothpick will come out clean.
PRO Tip:
If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, you can start it at half speed by holding it just under the first speed setting or pulse it so you don’t get sprayed by a cloud of cocoa, flour, or sugar!
How to make Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes:
- Cupcakes: Whisk the dry ingredients together and make an indentation in the center. Pour in the liquids (except the coffee) and whisk together. Slowly whisk in the coffee until combined.
- Pour the batter into a paper-lined muffin pan, dividing it equally between each one and filling them 2/3 full. Bake until done, about 15 to 17 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- When cool, cut out the core of each one from the top. Set aside.
- Nutella Mousse: Whisk the cold heavy cream with the sugar to stiff peaks. Fold in the Nutella until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with an extra-large round or star piping tip. Pipe into each cupcake until it is flush with the top. If you have extra, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Nutella Frosting: Beat soft butter until smooth and lightened, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add the Nutella, vanilla, and salt beating until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and slowly, gently mix in until there are no lumps or streaks. Scrape the bowl. Remove from the mixer and fold with a spatula a few times to smooth everything.
- Decorate: Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with an extra large piping tip of you choice. I like the 1M for soft ruffles. Add whatever decorations you like including chopped hazelnuts to follow the theme of Nutella!
PRO Tip:
This is a fairly large project but you can break it up into two days to make it easier. None of the components are complicated, just a bit time consuming. On Day One bake and cool the cupcakes and store them in an airtight container. Make the mousse and refrigerate it, covered. On Day Two core the cupcakes and pipe in the mousse filling. Make the frosting and pipe it on top, right over the hole with the mousse in it. Decorate as desired and set aside. Enjoy every bite!
PRO Tip:
If you don’t want to make the Nutella mousse, just use plain Nutella as the filling for the cupcakes. One less component to make!
PRO Tip:
The best consistency of frosting for piping is to get it thick enough so that when you take a spoonful and hold it upside down over the bowl of the frosting. If it doesn’t immediately fall off and takes a vigorous shake to get it to release, it is perfect for piping!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Muffin pan
- Mixing bowls
- Wire cooling rack
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Piping bags and jumbo piping tips
- Cupcake corer
- Spatula
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s, another kosher brand, or table salt, you will not need as much because they are saltier.
*** The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. But some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this recipe for a very reactive person, or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka mixed with two teaspoons brown sugar in place of the bourbon called for.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes (GF)
Nutella Mousse Stuffed Cupcakes are a dream come true. Luscious chocolate cupcakes are filled with a decadent and light Nutella mousse and then they are topped with beautiful Nutella buttercream frosting. Pure heaven in every bite!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (120g *) gluten-free all-purpose flour * or regular all-purpose flour like Gold Medal brand
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp (32g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder such as Hershey’s, NOT Dutch process!
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt **
- 1/2 cup (114g) buttermilk *** at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (57g) bourbon and 1/4 cup (57g) milk **** OR 1/2 cup (113g) hot strongly brewed coffee
Nutella Mousse
- 1-1/2 cups (340g) cold heavy cream
- 2-1/2 rounded tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (149g) Nutella hazelnut spread
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (149g) Nutella hazelnut spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (28g) cocoa powder
- 2-1/2 cups (283g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cold heavy whipping cream, plus more if needed
Optional Decorations
- Chopped hazelnuts, for cupcake garnish
- Silly eyes for Halloween fun, or other festive decorations you enjoy for any event
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (gluten-free or regular), granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Make an indentation in the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk mixture in the center. Whisk and pull in the dry ingredients to create a batter. The batter should be just combined with no dry streaks.
4. Continue whisking as you slowly add the bourbon plus milk or coffee. Stop mixing the batter once the liquid has been incorporated.
5. Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full. Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cakes spring back when gently touched in the center.
6. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. When completely cool, cut out the core in the top of each cupcake using a cupcake corer or paring knife. Do not go too deep!
Nutella Mousse
1. While the cupcakes are cooling, pour the heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or into a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Add the granulated sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Take the bowl off your mixer and add the Nutella to the whipped cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold until fully combined and no streaks remain.
3. Spoon the mousse into a piping bag fitted with an extra-large round piping tip for filling the cupcakes. Pipe the mousse into the centers of each cupcake until it just fills to the rim but not above. Set aside while you make the frosting.
4. If you have extra mousse, put into an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate up to several days.
Nutella Buttercream
1. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. On medium speed beat the softened butter for 2 to 3 minutes. It should be lighter in color and smooth.
2. Add the Nutella, vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. On low speed, alternate adding the pre-measured powdered sugar and heavy cream. Between each addition scrape down the bowl. If the frosting is too thick, add an additional 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold the Nutella buttercream by hand a few times to be sure everything is incorporated evenly. Scoop the Nutella Buttercream into a large piping bag fitted with an extra-large piping tip. I like to use a 1M tip for soft ruffles. Use your favorite design.
Frosting and Decorating the Cupcakes
1. Pipe or spread the Nutella frosting on the cupcakes as desired and top with chopped hazelnuts or decorations of your choice.
2. Serve and enjoy!
Storage:
Store at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Store refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 7 days.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal If you use Morton’s, another kosher brand, or table salt, you will not need as much because they are saltier.
*** To make 1/2 cup buttermilk for this recipe, remove and discard 1/2 tablespoon of the 1/2 cup buttermilk. Replace it with either 1/2 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Set it aside to sour and curdle for at least 10 minutes then stir well prior to using.
**** The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this recipe for a very reactive person or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka plus a little brown sugar in place of the optional bourbon or just use coffee.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Cupcakes & frosting adapted from a recipe on Entirely Elizabeth
Mousse adapted from a recipe on The Stay at Home Chef
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 7g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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