Red Velvet Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream
Nutella-filled red velvet cupcakes, topped with thick and fluffy Nutella buttercream! These cupcakes are guaranteed to be your new favorite cupcake recipe! Maybe even all-time favorite dessert!
Servings 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For cupcakes:
- 1 box milk chocolate cake mix
- 1 1/4 c. milk
- 1/3 c. oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. red gel food paste
For filling and buttercream:
- 2 c. Nutella divided
- 1 c. unsalted butter softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 4 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
For cupcakes:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine milk chocolate cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, and red gel food paste, beating until blended, 1-2 minutes.
- Line regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners.
- Fill muffin cups halfway with batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For filling and buttercream:
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop a 1-inch ball out of the center of each cupcake. Reserve these pieces of cake for sprinkling crumbs on top of the cupcakes as garnish.
- Using 1 cup Nutella, spoon a rounded teaspoonful of Nutella into the center of each cupcake.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and remaining Nutella, beating until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- The frosting should be thick, but fluffy and pipeable. You can add a tablespoon or two of water, if needed, to adjust the consistency.
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
- Sprinkle with red velvet cake crumbs, for garnish.