Nutella Mocha Hazelnut Filling and Buttercream Recipes!

Yesterday I boasted about my cupcakes I just made and had people inquiring to the recipe's.  Well friends I have no problems sharing them, as I myself rely on most of the ones I keep tinkering with solely because someone else in fact was kind enough to share it with me.  So it seems only fitting to pay it forward!

Nutella Mocha Hazelnut Filling

Ingredients

Nutella (small container)
2 packages of cream cheese (softened to room temp)
1 package single serve instant coffee (I used Taster's Choice hazelnut flavor)
1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (optional)

Instructions

Bring 2 packages of cream cheese to room temperature.  Mix on high speed (preferably in stand mixer) until smooth and fluffy.  Scrape sides and add a small container of Nutella to the cream cheese mixture, mixing slowly at first.  Add package of instant coffee and increase mixing speed and mix until fluffy.  Add optional toasted hazelnuts to mixture by folding them in with a spatula.

Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.


Nutella Mocha Buttercream

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
4 cups confectioners (powdered, or icing) sugar (16oz box or 1lb bag)
5 Tbls of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of Nutella
1/2 teaspoon salt ( use 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)

1 package single serve instant coffee (I used Taster's Choice hazelnut flavor)

Instructions

Place butter in a large mixing bowl, on medium speed cream until fluffy.  Add 2 cups confectioners sugar, salt, 3 tbls milk, coffee and vanilla.  Continuing on medium speed, beat until mixture is smooth. Add remaining 2 cups of confectioners sugar and remaining 2 tbls milk, beating until frosting is of a good thick spreading consistency.  Fold the Nutella into the buttercream until there are no more streaks.

*Makes about 3-1/2 cups of icing*

Now if you have to ask about the caloric content of either, then I suggest you don't because you won't like the answer, but these two used together with a devil's food or other rich chocolate cake, it is pure indulgence, and in my eyes, so worth it!  Then again that could also be why I could really stand to hit the gym! haha!

Hope everyone enjoys and if you do try it, let me know how it works out?  Did you add or subtract anything?  Most of all what do you think of it? I have only used it for a cupcake so far, but use of it in a cake is imminent.  I will report back with my findings and hopefully some reviews!

Have a great night everyone, enjoy your Friday!

Check out my website! Party Cakes By Steph

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes!!

Last night I went searching to try a new recipe for a cake filling.  I have a cake order this weekend, and chocolate is the requested flavor.  I knew I wanted something that would just meld with the chocolate, yet not be sickeningly sweet at the same time.  I wanted it to have almost a Nutella flavor.  

That relevation started on a grand google search and I found a couple recipes for Nutella buttercream, and a couple for a Nutella filling.  Let me tell you something, there is nothing better then taking someone else's recipe and then playing up its weak points, or just simply tailoring it to your own tastes.  I like to call them my Frankenstein recipes! 

I made up the Nutella filling first, and it was just missing something, so I added a single packet of instant hazelnut coffee.  OH MY STARS!!!  It came out awesome, I could eat it straight out of the bowl!  I then moved onto the icing.  This recipe did not call for any salt, and you could tell as it was sickeningly sweet, so I added a dash of salt, and another packet of instant hazelnut coffee.  (I used the little coffee singles you can get in the little packets)  

I baked up a batch of jumbo devil's food cupcakes and filled them with the filling and topped it off with the buttercream and have been afraid to try them!  I know it sounds silly, but I wasn't too happy with the frosting so I was timid about letting myself down since I had psyched myself up with the filling.  I needed a guinea pig.  I looked at them all day and as soon as Tony got home, I made him eat one.  These are not your average sized cupcake either, these are eat with a fork and probably share cupcakes.   He absolutely loved it, and actually ate the whole thing!  I was so excited, and of course now that my guinea pig says they are good, I had to follow.  

I literally bit into the best chocolate, coffee, hazelnut goodness ever!  I cannot wait to use this filling and icing this weekend.  Oh and for family and friends, there is still about 8 of these gooey goodness's left in the fridge, holla if yall want one!

Never seen myself as a "blogger"...but alast away we go!

I have recently had people asking me just how is it that you made that cake?  It's not an easy process as recent TV shows make it look.  The process for a home based decorator greatly differs from those that have a store front business, or the bakeries they show on TV.  The typically do not have access to the grandeur of a commercial kitchen, nor do they have assistants that can help them in creating a one of a kind display for you.  Now I don't envy someone who actually owns a storefront, a lot of overhead is involved to be able to create their masterpieces!  In that respect I will just stick with my little galley kitchen and pokey electric oven, and yes to all those asking, is where you will truly see how it is I made that cake.  I hope to be able to give everyone some insight into the process that is creating your masterpiece.

I am fairly new to the game in cake decorating, I still have a lot of skills to hone and learn, every one of my cakes is a learning experience.  In turn I find myself loving the next one I do even more.  I had a brief on the job learning of decorating cakes about 10 years ago and it started my bug.  After that I dabbled in a few cakes here and there, and even did a massive wedding cake that swore me off of them almost still.  (Yes that is what I said, I am AFRAID of wedding cakes!)  I then kept challenging myself, and quickly discovered my years of art direction in school was not put to waste.  I was a hobbyist for the longest time, but in November lost my job of over 8 years, that is one of the motivating factors in breaking out and jumping in with both feet.  It is time for me to persue something more for myself and my family, and since I have been unable to find employment, now is as good a time as ever.

In the next coming months I am going to be challenging myself and getting myself more out there.  I had so much fun with the last cake I did, even if spraying the airbrush in my kitchen caused my AC filter to turn orange lol.  It was still worth it.  Even more so to hear that the little boy was ecstatic to see it, and my cake made his day.  That is why I do what I do.  I want your cake to be yours and yours alone, made fresh and with the best tasting ingredients I can get.  That is the difference you get by choosing a decorator like myself verses your local bakery.  (Not knocking your retail decorators, they are talented and doing what they are mandated to do and are limited to the store they are employed)  But you won't get your typical "sheetcake" made from frozen cake and bucket icing from me :) 

So I will leave you with this, I may be buried in schoolwork, busy being a stay at home mom (and wife) to my sweet baby girl and her daddy, I am also here to make your cake for you and make your event the best it can be.  Just make sure it is on a small enough scale it will fit in refrigerator and a small focus sedan! (We all gotta start out somewhere lol)