These chocolate cupcakes are one of the best desserts you’ll ever make – its super fudgy, rich, chocolatey and delicious, and to top it all you drizzle a big mound of luscious hazelnut cream.

Photo: Natalie Levin
Chocolate Cupcakes with Hazelnut Cream
Servings 12 chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients
For chocolate and praline cupcakes:
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 125 grams butter
- 30 grams praline paste
- Pinch of salt
- 150 grams sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 20 grams cocoa powder
- 30 grams ground hazelnuts
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
For hazelnut cream:
- 250 ml. milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 grams sugar
- 20 grams cornstarch
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 125 grams butter
- 100 grams praline paste
Decoration:
- 100 grams melted dark chocolate
- caramelized hazelnuts bits
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 170 degrees and grease the pan well.
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Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl.
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Add butter and solvent together in the microwave or over double-boiler until everything is melted and mixture is smooth.
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Add praline paste, salt and sugar and beat well until blended.
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Add the eggs one at a time, stirring between additions.
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Add cornstarch, cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts and baking powder and mix just until incorporated.
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Pour the mixture into the pan and filled up to about 2/3 of each hole.
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Bake the cakes for about 15-20 minutes or until set at the edges, but still slightly soft in the center.
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Cool completely and extracting from the mold.
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Hazelnut cream: in a medium pot heat milk to a simmer.
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In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.
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Add about 1/3 amount of boiling milk over the egg yolk mixture while whisking until mixture is smooth.
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Add the remaining milk mixture into a bowl and beat well.
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Return the mixture into the pot and cook while constant whisking on medium-high flame until you get a thick pastry cream.
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Cool the cream in the refrigerator until it is completely set.
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Transfer the cold cream into a bowl and beat well.
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In a mixer bowl whip the butter with a paddle-attachment until it softens slightly. Add praline paste and blend until mixture is smooth.
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Add the whipped cream into the butter and mix just until creamy smooth.
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Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with large round piping tip.
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Pipe high mounds of cream to the top of each cake.
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Decoration: melt the chocolate in the microwave or over double-boiler.
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Pour the chocolate onto a baking paper and spread to about of 2-3 mm thick.
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Sprinkle generously hazelnut bits and cool for 1-2 minutes in the refrigerator until the chocolate begins to set, but still slightly soft.
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Use a 4-5 cm cookie cutter and cut the chocolate into circles. Cool completely in the fridge for half an hour.
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Place a chocolate and hazelnut disc on top of the cream and serve.
Recipe Notes
- The cupcakes are at their best on the day or two after preparation.
- Praline paste can be bought in baking specialty stores for products and raw materials.
- Keep the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- You can make the recipe in one 22 cm round cake. The baking time will be longer.

Photo: Natalie Levin