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Hazelnut and Cream Latte Cupcakes

Welcome in the cool winter weather with these cozy cupcakes! Flavored with real toasted hazelnuts, nutella, and fresh brewed coffie, these cupcakes are fluffy and light with a crumb that melts in your mouth. They are simple and quick, with no extra steps or complicated decoration. Try these delicious cupcakes to impress your guests at your next holiday gathering.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 18 Cupcakes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes
  • 1 cup raw unsalted hazelnuts
  • 1 ¾ cup cake flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup Nutella
  • 3 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
  • ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup fresh brewed coffee at room temperature
Whipped Frosting
  • 6 ounces full fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • ¾ cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt to taste
  • 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

Method
 

Prepare the hazelnuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the hazelnuts on the sheet evenly. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until they are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 350 F. Allow the toasted nuts to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add the toasted hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until they resemble a fine meal, similar to almond flour. Set aside.
Make the cupcakes
  1. Make sure your oven is turned up to 350 F. Line a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners. Then on a separate shape, line 6 of the cups with cupcake liners, but leave the other half empty. This recipe yields about 18 cupcakes.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the ground toasted hazelnuts(you should have extra, which you can use for decoration), flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl using either a stand or hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, around 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy and creamy, about two minutes. Add the Nutella and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Add the sour cream and beat until combined.
  4. With the mixer running on low speed add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. Slowly stream the milk into the batter with the mixer still running on low. Do the same with the brewed coffee.
  5. Spoon/pour the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Aim for filling them about 2/3 of the way full, to leave room for rising.
  6. Bake the cupcakes for 19-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, and when you lightly tap with your finger, the cake should bounce back. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
  1. In a large bowl using either a stand or hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, around 1 minute. Add the confectioners sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt and whip on low for 20 seconds. Then turn to high speed and whip for 2 full minutes. Try and make the mixture as smooth as possible. With the mixer running on low speed stream in the heavy cream until combined. Then turn the speed up to high and whip for 1-2 minutes. The frosting will become thick and airy, almost like whipped cream but a little stiffer. The time spent whipping it will vary depending on the temperature of your ingredients. You are looking for stiff peaks, which is when you lift your whisk out of the bowl the frosting will form a peak and stay.
  2. Fill a large piping bag with the frosting. I use Wilton 4B for the piping tip, which gives a nice swirly pattern. To pipe, I make a large swirl around the cupcake, moving upwards as I go. You can also use a spatula or a spoon and spread the frosting on top. For decoration, I like to dust them with cocoa powder and top them with hazelnuts. You can also use the leftover ground up toasted hazelnuts on top, but you can do whatever you want. Get creative, it’s the holiday season!
  3. Cupcakes stay fresh in a sealed container for up to 5 days at room temperature.