Smooth Nutella buttercream is so easy to make and is the perfect topping for cupcakes, birthday cakes, layer cakes, or anywhere else you might need a little buttercream really!
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was going to share my recipe for Nutella cupcakes and if you follow me on… well any social media really, you will have noticed that last week I decided my willpower was strong enough to not eat all of them if I made them.
It turns out I was wrong, I don’t have nearly enough willpower and simply couldn’t resist giving them a try. But, it you’re going to crack and eat something a bit naughty, I’d suggest that Nutella cupcakes are definitely the way to go 🙂
I was going to dive straight into posting the recipe for those cupcakes but then I decided that the buttercream deserved a post all to itself. Yes, it’s the perfect Nutella-y topping for the cupcakes, but it’s also yummy in it’s own right and it would make a brilliant topping to all sorts of other flavours of cupcakes, birthday cakes, layer cakes or anywhere else you might want to use a bit of buttercream.
It took a bit of trial and error to get the balance of butter, sugar and Nutella right in this buttercream. I started by making standard buttercream (made with 1 part butter to 2 parts sugar) and simply mixing in plenty of Nutella for flavour but I found it far too sweet. In the end I found that using equal amounts of butter and icing sugar gave a much better flavour.
As with my standard vanilla buttercream, you need to add just a little milk to get the buttercream to a nice spreadable consistency, perfect for covering a cake or piping onto cupcakes. You’ll need less milk than you would with standard buttercream as the addition of Nutella gives it a softer, smoother texture anyway.
What You’ll Need
Before you start, make sure you have all of the equipment needed.
NOTE – These are affiliate links which means that if you purchase from Amazon after clicking on one the product links below I may earn a small commission. All of the products linked are ones I use in my kitchen.
Weighing Scales- Measuring Spoons
- Knife – to cut the butter
- Electric Mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon)
- Sieve
- Piping Bags – if you’re planning on piping the cupcakes
- Piping Nozzle – To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the video you’ll need a JEM 1B nozzle. To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the pictures you’ll need a Wilton 2D nozzle.
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
Subscribe to the Charlotte's Lively Kitchen mailing list to get your FREE printable grams to cups and cups to grams conversion charts for twelve popular baking ingredients
Nutella Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 175 g unsalted butter - at room temperature
- 175 g icing sugar
- 350 g Nutella
- A dash of milk - I use skimmed but any is fine
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the butter (175g) into cubes and beat in an electric mixer until soft.
- Add the icing sugar (175g) and beat until fully combined. To try and avoid the sugar flying everywhere I add the sugar a spoonful at a time and keep the mixer on a low speed until it has started to mix with the butter.
- Add the Nutella (350g) and beat until fully combined.
- Take a look at the consistency of the icing, is it spreadable? If not add ½ tsp milk and mix until fully combined. Check the consistency again and repeat until it is just spreadable.
- Once you’ve got the consistency right, it’s ready to use.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Egg-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are commonly available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
Claire Collins says
Can I swap the Nutella out for another type of spread? For example, I have a lot of white chocolate spread that I need to find a use for….
Charlotte Oates says
You can definitely swap out another spread but I would go a little cautiously with white chocolate as it can be on the very sweet side. You may want to reduce the amount of spread or the icing sugar a little and add a bit more later if you wish.
Amanda says
Fantastic buttercream, not overly sweet with just the right amount of Nutella flavour. I could eat this straight from the bowl
Holly says
Can I freeze this buttercream?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, you can freeze buttercream but it will need to be rewhipped once thawed.
Angela says
This looks very yummy! I’m planning to make it to fill as a thin layer and coat an 8inch vanilla cake. In terms of time and storing, would I be able to use it on a cake the night before it will be eaten and store in fridge? Also not planning to pipe but just spread it as adding some edible decorations on it which i can do the morning of day it will be eaten. Would that work out OK? Very much a first time baker here.
Thanks!
Charlotte Oates says
You’re absolutely fine to do it the day before.
Helen says
This icing tasted amazingly good, was very easy to make and looked great on top of our cupcakes. Thank you!
Orla says
Beautiful buttercream! I’m the person that wipes most buttercream off cupcakes as I find it sickening but not this! If you like Nutella you’ll love this!
Laura says
Hi,
what brand of icing sugar do you recommend?thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I use whichever they have in the supermarket. The one I currently have in my cupboards is Silver Spoon.
Rachael says
Hi,
If there is buttercream left over can it be frozen 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried freezing this particular buttercream but I would expect it to be OK. You may find it’s a little stiff after defrosting. If it is, you’ll need to beat in a little more milk to soften it.
Amita says
Can I use the Nutella Buttercream under fondant
Charlotte Oates says
You can, it doesn’t crust like some buttercreams so don’t make it too thick, but I’ve used it and it’s worked well.
Amita says
I’m planning on making a 2 layer 7 inch round cake. Will the quantities above for the Nutella buttercream be enough to fill and crumb coat this cake before I cover with fondant
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on how thick you want your buttercream, but I would expect it to be enough.
Frances Henry says
I’m a first timer.
I’ve baked the two layers of cake and they are currently cooling.
I want to do a layer of swirls then a layer on top. You said the ingredients you listed would do a layer cake thinly. I would like to make a lot, without doubling the amounts so I’ve some to practice and then plenty to decorate. What amounts do you think I should increase too?
Many thanks
Frances
Charlotte Oates says
What size is you cake?
Claire Kaye says
Would this work with a vanilla madeira cake recipe?
And also if I needed the outer icing to be yellow what would you recommend? Inside and outside different? What would taste OK together? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Yes it will work with a vanilla Madeira cake. For the outside I’d recommend a vanilla buttercream or a white chocolate buttercream. Both will go well.
Tam says
This buttercream reminded me how much I love Nutella. Perfectly sweet, but not too sickly, and tastes just like Nutella but creamier. Used to ice some Kinder Bueno cupcakes on top of some chocolate sponge. Will be making again!
Andre says
I just made it and I covered my husband’s cake for his feast!!! What can I say. Wonderful recipe!!!!!
Anne says
Just made this to cover my son’s Paw Patrol cake. Perfect thank you!
Charlotte Garner says
Could this work as a crumb coat
Charlotte Oates says
Yes it will!
Anna says
I made this to fill and coat a chocolate cake for my son’s birthday. I topped the cake with dark chocolate ganache and decorated it with Ferrero Rocher, Malteasers, wafer rolls and chocolate coated biscuit sticks. It was delicious and not too sweet. My daughter has requested I make it for her birthday too!
Charlotte Oates says
That sounds amazing! I hope your son had a lovely birthday.
Christina says
Hi there. This is delicious! How many grams result from one batch of the recipe?
Charlotte Oates says
One batch of this recipe yields around 700g of buttercream
Shah says
Hi!!
This looks amazing! W8ll the piping stay in humid weather if used for cake decorating?
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on just how hot and humid it’s going to be. if you’d expect butter to go funny where you are then the buttercream probably will too (as butter is such a major ingredient). Try and keep them refrigerated for a long as possible if you are making them somewhere humid.
kelera says
what would the grams be in cups
Charlotte Oates says
If you look just below the ingredients list in the recipe it says “US Cups/Ounces”. If you click there you’ll find the cups measurements.
Jaboo Hussain says
Hi
Can I make this the night before?
Charlotte Oates says
It tends to crust over as it sets to its best to make it just before decorating. It will keep for a few days on a decorated cake though.
Jaboo hussain says
Thanks for the advice. I’ll make before I need it then.