Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Icing

There is something so decadent about hazelnuts! I just knew with an open bottle of Nutella in the pantry I wanted to find the perfect hazelnut cupcake to accompany it.

So I went straight for Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book for the cake. This dense cake uses both toasted almond and hazelnut flour and then beaten egg whites for added lightness. It is rich and nutty. Everything I was looking for. You can find the recipe HERE.

I toasted my nuts, both almonds and hazelnuts, at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. After the first 8 minutes I shook the baking sheet and turned my nuts so they wouldn't burn. They were fragrant and hot!

Then pulse up the nuts in a food processor. Do not over do it, or you will end up with nut butter. Use the pulse button and check it frequently.

Great cupcakes on their own, with flecks of nuts dotting the exterior, but to make them truly good I recommend making the Nutella buttercream. So easy, and delicious!

You will need:
1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temp.

2 Tbsp. Nutella spread

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. meringue powder (optional)

1 lb. powdered sugar

Cream your butter with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add in Nutella, vanilla and meringue powder. Then slowly start adding the powdered sugar till you have desired stiffness.

I added the meringue powder to give it more strenght since buttercreams are often soft. It is optional though.

Then I used a Wilton tip 1M to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes and then sprinkled them with chopped toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!

...For even more cupcake creations, be sure to visit Hoosier Homemade's Cupcake Tuesdays