Nutella Buttercream

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Ever tasted frosting so good you forgot you needed the cake part? Well, this Nutella Buttercream is that kind of frosting recipe!

Nutella Buttercream shown up close to see the swirls of the buttercream.

This fluffy Nutella Buttercream recipe is made from 5 ingredients – powdered sugar, cocoa powder, unsalted butter, Nutella, and cream. It is super simple to make and can be used on your favorite cake or cupcake recipes.

If you are a Nutella fanatic and love trying out chocolate recipes, then have a look at this recipe for a Chocolate Naked Cake or this Chocolate Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

If you are looking for the perfect cupcake recipe to use this frosting on, try out these Vanilla Cupcakes or this recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes. This frosting would also be great spread over a banana or chocolate cake and topped with toasted hazelnuts and a Ferrero Rocher or two!

Nutella Buttercream shown on a Nutella Cupcake

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Ingredients
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Top tips
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

You will need the simple ingredients listed below to make this easy homemade Nutella buttercream frosting recipe. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.

Confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder
Unsalted butter
Heavy whipping cream
Nutella

Cocoa powder – choose a quality chocolatey cocoa powder for this recipe.

Unsalted butter – be sure to use unsalted butter rather than salted butter for this recipe. It is also very important to use room-temperature butter.

Whipping cream - Heavy cream refers to creams with a fat content higher than 36%. In South Africa, these creams are often called whipping cream. Please don’t make the mistake of confusing this with double thick cream, it isn’t the same!

Nutella - choose to use Nutella in this recipe or another chocolate hazelnut spread.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Follow the simple instructions below to make this easy Nutella buttercream recipe.

STEP 1: Beat cocoa, icing sugar, and butter. To a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, and unsated butter. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

STEP 2: Add the cream. With the mixer’s motor running at low speed slowly pour the cream into the frosting mixture. Once all the cream has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 5 minutes.

Image showing step 1, after the butter, icing sugar, and cocoa have been mixed together.

Image showing step 2, after the cream has been whipped into the frosting.

STEP 3: Continue beating. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the frosting again at medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy and the perfect consistency.

STEP 4: Add Nutella. Add the Nutella to the whipped frosting and beat again until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Image showing step 4, after the Nutella has been aded.

Image showing the final frosting up close so that you can see the texture.

STEP 5: Use to decorate cakes. The frosting is now ready to be filled into a piping bag or spread onto cakes. Enjoy!

Hint: For the fluffiest buttercream, always use room-temperature butter.

Equipment

To make this light and fluffy buttercream you will need a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer for the best results. Beating the frosting can take up to 10 minutes so you’ll need some help!

Storage

If you want to make this homemade Nutella frosting ahead of time, you can. Once made, store it in an airtight container or large bowl covered with cling film and place it in the fridge.

Before using it, remove the frosting from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours before beating it again until it is light and fluffy. Once it is light and fluffy use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.

Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days away from strong-smelling foods. I do not recommend freezing buttercream.

Top tips

Use these top kitchen tips below to help ensure you are making the perfect Nutella Buttercream

Use room-temperature butter.
Be sure to beat the frosting for long enough, depending on the temperature of your butter this can take 10 minutes or longer to get the right consistency.
Use an electric mixer to help you get a fluffy buttercream.
Never decorate warm cupcakes or cakes, the buttercream will melt.
Always use the buttercream to decorate as soon as it has finished beating.
If decorating is difficult because the frosting is too hard then add it back to the mixer and beat it again.
Always cool your cupcakes or layer cake on a wire rack before frosting.

FAQ

What should I do if my butter isn’t at room temperature?

Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt it.

How do I know when the frosting is ready?

When in doubt keep mixing – getting a fluffy frosting takes time, so if your frosting looks too hard to spread then keep beating it. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often so that the frosting can mix evenly together.

I hope you give this delicious Nutella buttercream a go! And let me know in the comments below how you used it – cakes, cookies, or cupcakes! I would love to hear from my fellow Nutella lovers.

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Happy Baking

With Love,

Kitty

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