These hazelnut mocha cupcakes are moist chocolate espresso cupcakes soaked in hazelnut espresso, topped with a chocolate hazelnut whipped cream.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. This post is sponsored by Papanicholas Coffee. All opinions are my own.
hazelnut mocha cupcakes
Hello hello! I’m here today with another recipe for my fellow coffee lovers. They’re super moist, rich and filled with all the delicious flavors of hazelnut and chocolate. The cupcakes themselves are made with hazelnut espresso and soaked in hazelnut espresso, and then topped with a super easy, super delicious nutella whipped cream. Please note that the whipped cream is very soft, so if you’re looking for a thicker frosting, I have notes on how to do that in the recipe notes!
why you’ll love these hazelnut mocha cupcakes:
- They’re super rich and chocolatey: dutch cocoa powder makes these cupcakes *so* nice and chocolatey. And the espresso soak makes them ridiculously moist.
- They’re small batch: like a lot of the recipes you’ll find here, these cupcakes are small batch – yielding 6 delicious cupcakes.
- Nutella whipped cream: I don’t know about you, but I’m not the biggest buttercream fan. The nutella whipped cream on top is super light, airy, creamy & a way more delicious substitute to buttercream.
papanicholas coffee
My favorite brand of coffee is PapaNicholas Coffee, so it’s perfect that I get to work with them! I use their coffee beans every single day and am so happy to be able to spread my love of their coffee to you. Today I partnered up with PapaNicholas Coffee for these hazelnut mocha cupcakes and used their Hazelnut Créme Espresso which is a delicious light roast blend with notes of caramelized hazelnut & sweet cream. I can’t recommend them enough, so please be sure to check them out! You can find their website by clicking here. And if you do end up purchasing their coffee be sure to use code FRESH20 which will get you 20% off any of their coffee!.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
How to make your chocolate cupcakes more chocolatey:
The secret to getting more chocolate flavor into your chocolate cake? Bloom your cocoa powder! Blooming your cocoa powder just means that you’re mixing the cocoa with a hot liquid. Here we’re using hot espresso to both bloom the cocoa and add moisture into the cake. Adding in the hot espresso releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. It’s truly such a simple way to add more chocolate flavor into your bakes, and makes it easier for the cocoa to incorporate into the batter.
Be careful when mixing the cupcake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cupcakes go from light and moist to dense and chewy. When you’re mixing in the dry ingredients, be sure that you only mix *just until* that last streak of flour disappears into the batter.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cupcakes while they bake:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. I’d recommend that you start checking on the cake around 15 minutes.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for hazelnut mocha cupcakes
hazelnut mocha cupcakes:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cupcakes
- Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness
- Dutch process cocoa powder: gives the cupcakes a deep, rich chocolate flavor. You can use natural cocoa powder here as well, just note that the cupcakes will be much lighter in color.
- Espresso: you’ll need hazelnut flavored espresso for the hazelnut flavor in these. I used and love PapaNicholas Hazelnut Creme Espresso. You could also use a hazelnut flavored coffee here as well.
- Vegetable oil: tenderizes the cupcakes. Any neutral oil, such as canola, will also work here.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens the cupcakes and helps lock in the moisture.
- Egg: contributes moisture to the cupcakes and helps bind the batter together
- Sour cream: tenderizes and adds moisture to the cupcakes. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
Nutella whipped cream:
- Heavy whipping cream: the base of the whipped cream.
- Salt: we’ll use a little bit of salt to help cut the sweetness and bring out the flavor of the nutella whipped cream.
- Nutella: or any chocolate hazelnut spread, to bring in chocolate and hazelnut flavors.
- Instant chocolate pudding: a little weird, I know, but it helps stabilize the whipped cream so it doesn’t just melt right on top of the cupcakes.
how to make hazelnut mocha cupcakes
Here are the steps to follow to make these cupcakes. You can find the complete recipe (which is printable!) at the end of this blog post.
- Start by mixing together the cocoa powder and hot espresso, then whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Fold in the dry ingredients just until no flour streaks remain.
- Distribute the cupcake batter evenly between six parchment liners, and bake.
- Poke holes in the cupcakes with a toothpick and brush extra espresso over them, then top the cupcakes with the nutella whipped cream, and enjoy!
hazelnut mocha cupcakes recipe q&a
do I need to use espresso in these cupcakes?
The hazelnut flavor in these cupcakes comes from the espresso. Without the espresso these would just be a normal chocolate cupcake but if that’s what you’re looking for, I have these small batch chocolate cupcakes that don’t use espresso that I think you’ll enjoy!
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Obviously they will not be small batch anymore but small batch isn’t always what we need! Simply double all of the ingredients in the recipe to make 12 delicious cupcakes. I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Definitely! I would recommend making the cupcakes no more than two days ahead of time. Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. I would recommend waiting to make the nutella whipped cream until the night or morning before you want to frost the cupcakes.
how to store the cupcakes
You can store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge.
can I turn this into a cake?
Definitely! Bake the cake in a 6″ cake pan. Just note that it will take a bit longer to bake because it will be bigger and thicker than the cupcakes.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Hazelnut Mocha Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Hazelnut Whipped Cream
- 120 g heavy whipping cream (4 oz.)
- 2 tbsp. instant chocolate pudding
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 150 g nutella (½ c.)
Hazelnut Mocha Cupcakes
- 80 g all purpose flour (⅔ c.)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 32 g dutch process cocoa powder (⅓ c.)
- 60 g freshly brewed hazelnut espresso (2 oz.)
- 75 g vegetable oil (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 75 g sour cream (⅓ c.) room temperature
- 30 g freshly brewed hazelnut espresso for soaking
Instructions
Chocolate Hazelnut Whipped Cream
- Start by making the chocolate hazelnut whipped to allow time for it to set in the fridge. Add the heavy whipping cream, instant chocolate pudding, and salt to a large bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream until it thickens.
- Fold the nutella into the whipped cream until it completely combines with the whipped cream. Cover the bowl and place it into the fridge until you're ready to frost the cupcakes.
Hazelnut Mocha Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a muffin tin with 6 parchment liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and freshly brewed hazelnut espresso.
- Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes, then whisk in the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, and sour cream until well combined.
- Add in the flour mixture, and whisk together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Distribute the cupcake batter evenly between the 6 liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean
- Use a toothpick to poke many small holes into the top of each cupcake. Then, use a pastry brush to brush hazelnut espresso over each of the cupcakes. Set aside to cool.
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled to room temperature, top them with a big scoop of the nutella whipped cream and crushed hazelnuts, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
If I double the batch to make a bigger cake, should I use a 19cm springform cake tin? I probably need to make a couple cupcakes on the side right as it might be too much? How long should I bake the cake for? Thanks
Hi! Yes you would need to bake a few cupcakes on the side as you’ll only need 1.5x the amount of batter to make the 19cm cake. I haven’t tested it with that size but you would want to start checking the cake for doneness around 20-25 minutes, with a total time probably being around 30-35 min. I hope this helps!