These Homemade Nutella Cupcakes are soft and moist, piped with a fluffy Nutella buttercream frosting and Nutella filling in the center of each cupcake.

Perfect for Chocolate and Nutella lovers, and quite frankly, for anyone who enjoys a good chocolate cupcake!

What is the secret to a moist cupcake?

There are a few things you can do to avoid dry cupcakes:

1. Make sure the butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature. This will make sure your ingredients mix more evenly, resulting in fluffy and moist cupcakes.
2. Do not over-mix your ingredients, or you could burst the air bubbles formed in the batter, resulting in chewy and dryer cupcakes. Once the flour is added, mix until the ingredients are just combined
3. Use good quality ingredients and don’t substitute them for other non-fat or low-fat versions. Use full-fat, real butter (preferably over any plant-based versions), full-fat sour cream, and good quality cocoa powder (I used Dutch-process cocoa powder). Make sure the baking soda and baking powder are not expired.
4. Do not overbake your cupcakes! even a couple of extra minutes of oven time could turn your cupcakes dry. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is baking at the right temperature every time.

How do you fill the middle of a cupcake?

There are a few ways to core and fill your cupcakes. I like to use a piping bag with my cupcake filling to fill my cupcakes for a cleaner and smoother process, but feel free to use a spoon if you prefer.

• With a cupcake corer: Push the cupcake corer at the top-center of the cupcake, twist, and pull out of the cupcake. Fill with the cupcake filling and frost with the creamy Nutella frosting
• Using a pairing knife: cut a circle with 1 inch in diameter in the center-top of the cupcake, angling it slightly to the middle of the cupcake. You’ll be left with a pyramid-like piece of cupcake. Remove it, and fill it with delicious hazelnut cocoa spread, and frost.
• Using a melon baller: Dig a hole in the top-center of the cupcake using the scoop of the melon baller, fill and frost
• With an apple corer: twist the apple corer into the top-middle of the cupcake, remove, fill with a teaspoon of Nutella and frost.

Ingredients you’ll need for these Homemade Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella filling

The ingredients for this Nutella cupcakes recipe are found in any big grocery store:

• All-purpose flour. Measured using a spoon, scooping the flour into your measuring cup without compacting it, then using the back of a knife to level it
• Cocoa powder. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• Baking Soda. Gives softness and airiness
• Baking powder. Gives a light and fluffy texture
• Salt. Enhances flavors
• Unsalted butter. Good quality, room-temperature butter
• Granulated sugar. To sweeten the cupcakes
• Eggs. At room temperature
• Vanilla extract. Good quality Vanilla extract goes a long way!
• Sour cream. At room temperature and full fat
• Coffee. Hot, strong coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor
• Icing sugar. Sifted, to avoid any lumps in your frosting
• Nutella. Any creamy hazelnut spread will work. This will give the chocolate hazelnut flavor to your cupcakes
• Heavy cream. Will help make the Nutella frosting creamier
• Hazelnuts. For garnish

Take a look at the bottom of this post for the detailed instructions and printable recipe card

How to make Nutella Chocolate Cupcakes

Start by Preheating your oven to 400 F and lining cupcake tins with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined. Alternate hot coffee and flour mixture, starting and finishing with dry ingredients and beating until well incorporated. Do not over-mix.

Fill prepared cupcake tins 3/4 full with cupcake batter; bake for 5 minutes at 400 F, reduce temperature to 350 F, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake to avoid cupcakes from becoming dry! Remove cupcakes from tins after 2 minutes and let them cool completely over a cooling rack before filling.

Using a melon baller, a pairing knife, or a cupcake corer (see tips above), scoop or core the center of the cooled cupcakes and fill with Nutella using a piping bag or a spoon.

To make the Nutella buttercream, beat butter until creamy, about 1.5 minutes. Add Nutella and mix. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until just incorporated, then beat at medium-high speed for 2 more minutes, until light and fluffy. Add more cream if needed.

Prepare a piping bag with your favoring piping tip. Use a butter knife to spread Nutella in a line on the side of the piping bag, from tip to end, then fill the piping bag with the Nutella buttercream. Pipe each cupcake with buttercream and top with crushed hazelnuts. Enjoy!

How far in advance can I make my Cupcakes?

You can make these Chocolatey Nutella cupcakes up to 2 days in advance, and store them at room temperature in an airtight container, away from any heat sources.

Can I frost cupcakes the night before?

Absolutely! Frost the cupcakes the night before and store them in an airtight container at room temperature and away from any heat sources.

Can I freeze frosted cupcakes?

Sure you can! Fill and frost your cupcakes as directed above. Place them in a single layer in an air-tight container high enough so your frosting doesn’t get smooshed. Cupcakes should be very well covered to avoid freezer burn and to avoid them from absorbing any bad odors from the freezer.

If you feel your container is not airtight, you can place a layer of plastic wrap between the container and the lid, then secure the lid on top. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To thaw your cupcakes, take them out of the freezer, remove the plastic wrap (in case you used any), and uncover to let all of the moisture out. Cupcakes will “sweat”, but eventually the “sweat” will dry out and cupcakes will be ready to eat!

How long do these delicious Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes last?

These keep for 2-3 days after you make them. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container and away from any heat sources.

Here’s a step-by-step guide with how-to images on how to freeze your frosted and unfrosted cupcakes.

Here’s a video of this Homemade Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella filling so you can see the process of how I made them.

Follow this link if you’re looking for more Cupcakes, Muffins and Donut recipes, or click the links below for some similar recipes:

Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche filling

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry filling

Nutella filled Biscuit Bites

Hazelnut Nutella knots

Fluffy Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment!