Nutella Cappuccino Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Filling

Ingredients:

Cappuccino Cupcake:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Adapted from Alice Medrich for SCHARFFEN BERGER Chocolate Maker

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup PLUS 2 tablspoons sugar
• 1/3 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablspoons instant coffee
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 12 regular cupcake liners

Nutella Buttercream:

Yield: enough buttercream to frost 24 cupcakes or fill and frost 12

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 13 ounce gar of nutella
• pinch of fine grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 pounds or 3 cups powdered sugar
• 6-8 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

Cappuccino Cupcake:

Preheat oven to 350.  MAKES 12 CUPCAKES.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, and on a low speed mix with an electric mixer. Add in butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Boil the water, and remove it from heat. Add in the instant coffee to the hot water and mix. Pour the coffee into the cupcake batter and mix for 30 seconds. Put 12 regular cupcake liners in a cupcake pan and fill them with an equal amount of batter. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean with only a few crumbs.

Nutella Buttercream:

In a large bowl cream the butter and Nutella with an electric mixer until well combined, and fluffy; this should take about 4 minutes of mixing. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once completely mixed, add in the salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Blend on a low speed until buttercream is moist. Add in 3 to 5 tablespoons of milk until desired consistency. Beat for an additional 3 minutes to get the buttercream nice and fluffy. 

Assembly:

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled take a knife and cut a small cone out of the top of your cupcake, as shown in the picture below. 

                                             

Cut off the pointy half of the cone, so you create a little lid for the hole. 

                                             

Fill a piping bag with the Nutella Buttercream frosting or just plain Nutella. Pipe the Nutella Buttercream or Nutella into each hollowed out center of the cupcake and then place the lid back on before frosting. Frost the Cappuccino Cupcakes with the Nutella Buttercream and enjoy!