Classic vanilla cupcakes swirled with Nutella and topped with Nutella-swirled vanilla American buttercream.
If you love Nutella, these cupcakes are for you. I always have a jar on hand and my family can’t get enough—my daughter even asks for “Nutella on a spoon” almost every day. One afternoon I had leftover vanilla batter and a jar of Nutella, so I swirled the hazelnut spread into the batter and the frosting. The result: rich, moist vanilla cupcakes with ribbons of Nutella in every bite.
Nutella is incorporated into both the cupcake batter and the buttercream for double the flavor. The cupcakes bake up tender and vanilla-forward, while the frosting is a light American buttercream with a streak of Nutella running through the piping bag for pretty swirls and concentrated pockets of hazelnut goodness.
How to Make Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes
Make the Cupcake Batter
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two standard cupcake pans with liners. This recipe yields 24 cupcakes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir the vanilla into the room-temperature buttermilk.
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in alternating additions: start with one third of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk, repeat, and finish with the remaining flour. Stop to scrape the bowl and fold with a rubber spatula so the batter is evenly combined but not overmixed.
Portion the batter using a large (2 oz) cookie scoop into the prepared liners. Warm the Nutella in the microwave for 10–15 seconds so it becomes more spreadable. Dollop about 1 teaspoon of Nutella onto each cupcake and swirl gently with a toothpick to create marbled ribbons. Bake at 325°F for 20–22 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
Make the Buttercream
In the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high for about 10 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through. The butter should become very light in color and silky in texture.
Add the vanilla extract and salt, then add the powdered sugar in two large additions: 3 cups at a time, mixing for about 3 minutes after each addition until smooth. Add the heavy cream 2 tablespoons at a time until the buttercream is soft, fluffy, and holds its shape—adjust the cream as needed for your preferred consistency.
Fit a piping bag with your chosen tip (a Wilton 8B or a 1M both work well). Use a small spatula or butter knife to spread a thin line of Nutella along one side of the inside of the piping bag, from the tip toward the top. Fill the rest of the bag with the vanilla buttercream. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting on each cooled cupcake so the Nutella line creates pretty streaks through the buttercream.
Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes
Description
Nutella is swirled into both the vanilla cupcake batter and the vanilla American buttercream for a rich, hazelnut-streaked treat.
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup Nutella
For the Nutella-Swirled American Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Nutella
- 2–4 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two cupcake pans with 24 liners.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for 3 minutes until light.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.
- Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.
- Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the mixer in alternating additions: 1/3 dry, 1/2 milk, repeat, finish with dry.
- Portion batter with a 2 oz scoop into the prepared liners.
- Warm the Nutella for about 15 seconds, dollop 1 tsp on each cupcake, and swirl with a toothpick.
- Bake at 325°F for 20–22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Buttercream
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer for 10 minutes, scraping the bowl halfway through.
- Add vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
- In two additions, add the powdered sugar (3 cups at a time), mixing 3 minutes after each addition.
- Add heavy cream 2 tbsp at a time until the buttercream is fluffy but holds its shape.
- Fit a piping bag with your preferred tip (Wilton 8B or 1M suggested).
- Spread a thin line of Nutella along one inside edge of the bag from the tip upward, then fill the bag with buttercream.
- Pipe swirls onto each cupcake.
- Enjoy.
Notes
Store cupcakes at room temperature for 1–2 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
If you’re a Nutella fan, these cupcakes are a simple way to enjoy that hazelnut-chocolate flavor in a light vanilla cake. Try them for parties, bake sales, or just because—everyone loves a cupcake with a surprise ribbon of Nutella.