Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

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This chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting recipe is an easy icing recipe for cakes, cupcakes and brownies. It’s simple to make in less than 10 minutes and absolutely delicious!

Frosting is the most important part of any dessert recipe, adding both flavor and sweetness. For other tasty buttercream recipes, try this espresso buttercream or this pistachio buttercream. 

You can also pair this icing with a cake filling such as this strawberry cake filling or this raspberry cupcake filling.

Or use it in combination with this peanut butter ganache for some hazelnut and peanut butter macarons.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This is a rich and creamy buttercream that is packed with hazelnut flavor and a little bit of chocolate.
• This hazelnut buttercream works well on many different types of cake, cupcakes and brownies.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, you can use that, but leave out the pinch of salt. 
• Icing Sugar: All buttercream recipes use icing sugar, which is also called powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar. This recipe doesn’t work with any other type of sugar. 
• Nutella: Use Nutella or any other type of chocolate hazelnut spread. 
• Cream: A dash of heavy cream helps loosen up the buttercream, giving it a smooth and creamy texture. 
• Hazelnut Extract: A small dash of hazelnut extract packs in even more hazelnut flavor. Hazelnut extract can be hard to find in a regular grocery store, but you should be able to find it in a specialty spice store or online. If you can’t find it easily, you can use vanilla extract as a substitute.
• Salt: A very small dash of salt brings out the hazelnut flavor. 

Equipment

• A handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle or whip attachment to make the buttercream. 
• If you are using a handheld mixer, use a large mixing bowl to prevent any splatter over the side.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Beat the butter on low speed for 1 minute until it is smooth and creamy. 

Step 2: Gradually add in the icing sugar, mixing until combined.

Step 3: Add in the Nutella, cream, hazelnut extract and pinch of salt. Whip for another 1 to 2 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy. 

Storage

• Fridge: Store hazelnut buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The buttercream will harden in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour and re-whip the frosting before using it. 
• Freezer: Store the buttercream in a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Squeeze out any excess air and make sure the bag is well sealed to avoid freezer burn. Use within 3 months. Before using, let the buttercream thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, let it come to room temperature before re-whipping. 

Expert Tips

• Add an extra splash of cream. If you find the buttercream is not quite smooth enough, add in a small dash of extra cream to loosen up the buttercream.
• Let the butter sit at room temperature. Before beginning, let the butter soften to room temperature, which will take about an hour. This will make it much easier to make a smooth buttercream. As a hack, you can microwave the butter for 10 to 15 seconds to soften it up more quickly.
• Use a large, deep mixing bowl. If you are using a hand mixer, using a deep mixing bowl will prevent the icing sugar from splashing over the sides and making a mess as you whip the buttercream together. 
• Store frosted goods in the fridge. Once you have frosted your cake or cupcakes, store the goods in the fridge, unless you are serving them right away. Chilling the goods in the fridge will also help the frosting set.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe