I have many more thoughts on hazelnuts now than I did three years ago. Despite growing up in Oregon, a region that proudly proclaimed this fragrant tree product its official state nut in 1989, I had little dealings with hazelnuts until I was about 17 and tried one of my all-time favorite ice creams at Zoey’s in downtown Ashland – the “Oregon Trail” (dark chocolate swirled with roasted hazelnuts and marionberry jam). My relationship to hazelnuts grew when, in college, I’d often scoop whole spoonfuls out of Costco-sized Nutella jars sitting temptingly in the dorm dining hall. But as many food relationships do when you become an “adult,” mine with hazelnuts ripened into a gourmande obsession around age 26, after a pivotal trip to Vienna, Austria, to visit a fellow-Nutella-appreciator and long-time dear friend, Christina.
Vienna in winter is as magical as anyone will tell you. Even if you haven’t been there, you can probably conjure up some horse-drawn carriage in snow, European vision that wouldn’t be that far off. Aside from splendid old opera houses, trips to Mozart’s grave (we’re singers, if you couldn’t tell), and nightly visits to each one of the dozens of Christmas Markets, or Weihnachtsmarkt, that boasted literal chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost tickling your nose, and about a cauldron and a half of Glühwein (mulled wine) per person, hazelnuts featured prominently in the magic that was Vienna in December. Praline (the stuff that roasted hazelnuts and sugar make) in all shapes and sweetnesses graced layers of flouncy Viennese cakes (many of them surprisingly gluten free!) in every cafe in the old quarter, and the Mozartkugel – an all-around marvelous little chocolate-wrapped candy – popped up practically everywhere. I can say with confidence that we consumed close to our body weight in Mozartkugel (Christina’s top-floor Viennese apartment was absolutely littered with candy wrappers after I left). They have more depth to them than most American candies, which tend to lean on easy flavors like nougat, peanut, or caramel. These spheres of pastry-chef brilliance are layered with a pistachio marzipan center, dark and light praline cream, and velvety dark chocolate. Needless to say, heaps of them made the trip back to California with me after departing the Austrian capital.
One of these days I’ll make a treat that is a true homage to these perfect little globes, but these gluten free chocolate hazelnut cupcakes are nearly there. They’re a fragrant, impossibly light cupcake (made almost-entirely of freshly-ground, freshly-roasted hazelnuts), topped with the most elegant chocolate + hazelnut buttercream. If you’re a Nutella fan, these cupcakes want to meet you. It may seem like a tedious task to roast, de-husk, and grind all of your own hazelnuts, but let me tell you – unroasted hazelnuts are the saddest little flavorless knobs out there. They need your tending. I once tried an off-brand chocolate hazelnut spread that tasted, for lack of a more colorful term, bland as all get out, and low and behold, the ingredients label read “chocolate, hazelnuts” NOT roasted hazelnuts. What a waste of a jar. Do yourself a favor and commit to the soothing, highly-satisfying time it takes to make these mind-blowing cupcakes, and then eat them all in due haste. If you’re already convinced that roasted hazelnuts are the bomb, try these gorgeous chocolate + hazelnut snow cookies, this Zoey’s homage “Oregon Trail” hazelnut, marionberry, and chocolate Swiss roll, or this hazelnut and pear upside down cake! If you’re just into nuts, try our roasted pecan shortbread or these terribly out of season cheesecake pecan pie bars (but why not make pecan pie all year round?!).
Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Nutella Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon)
- 1 3/4 Cup finely ground roasted hazelnuts instructions below
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 3/4 Cup sour cream
- 3/4 Cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Cup white sugar
For the buttercream:
- 2 Cups salted butter at room temperature
- 4 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 Cup light cocoa powder not dutched
- 1/4 Cup chocolate hazelnut spread nutella or other brands
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, roast your hazelnuts. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spread whole, unsalted hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the outer skin peels away a bit. Remove and pour into a kitchen towel. Let cool a few minutes, then vigorously rub towel so that some of the hazelnut skins are removed, then let cool completely. Once the nuts are cool, blitz up in a food processor in small batches (1/2 cup MAX per blitzing round or else you’ll end up with hazelnut butter) or nutribullet until you have roasted hazelnut flour.
- Next, make your cupcakes. Keep the oven preheated to 350, and line two cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry cupcake ingredients (flour, ground hazelnut flour, baking powder and soda, salt), then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and sugar until thick and creamy. Add in the whisked dry ingredients and stir together until combined. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pans – each cup should be at least 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back with touched. Let cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the room temp butter, vanilla, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder 1 cup at a time until fully blended. Add in the nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread and beat until combined. If the frosting is too stiff, add a tablespoon of milk, if it's too loose, add another cup of powdered sugar. Then scoop frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes, then serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
