Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Frosting....

Wow!  Just the name alone is a mouthful!  I suppose I could have come up with something that told the story in fewer words, but I just couldn't think of anything that accurately described all of the flavors in this cupcake.  So, Chocolate Brownie Cupcake with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Frosting is what it is to me.  You can call it whatever you want.  lol

Let's start with the whole mocha cappuccino hazelnut part.  I learned about this crazy stuff made by Jif from a blog I love called Love From The Oven.  She always knows about the most amazing products!  So, when I actually came face to face with this sin-in-a-jar at Target last week, my mind was swirling with ideas of ways to use it.  The most obvious way, for me, anyway, was frosting.

Who comes up with these ideas??  Geniuses.  That's who.

And, what better flavor of cupcake to put this frosting on than chocolate.  A chocolate cupcake with actual coffee in the batter.  Oh, and brownies.  IN the cupcake. (This is another fun trick I learned over at Love From The Oven.  You really should go check her out.  She's awesome.  And in Phoenix.  Which makes her even more awesome.  Only truly hard core bakers turn their ovens on in Phoenix in the summer!)

I put all of these fun things together and ended up with this....

I just love the color of the frosting.  So pretty.  And I finished them off with chocolate mocha beans and chocolate cigars.  I just love little touches like that, don't you?  Of course, now that it is all said and done, and all of the cupcakes are eaten, I realize that I didn't take a picture of the brownie bottom.  :(   You will just have to use your imagination.  And you will want to run, not walk, yourself over to Target and buy some Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread so you can make these cupcakes!

Do you think Jif would use me for a commercial?  ;)

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

You will need:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix, prepared as directed.*
1 batch of your favorite chocolate cupcakes.  I used this one.**

Preheat your oven.  Line your cupcake tins with paper liners.  Prepare your brownie batter and your cupcake batter.  Put a dollop of brownie batter (I used about a tablespoon or so) in the bottom of each paper liner.  Fill liners with cupcake batter and bake as directed.  Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.

Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
3-4 T Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread (depending on your taste)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
milk or heavy whipping cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy (about 4 or 5 minutes).  Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides as you go.  Add the vanilla and the hazelnut spread.  I recommend adding the spread a tablespoon at a time until you achieve a flavor you like.  I thought it was pretty strong tasting.  Then add the milk or whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Frost the cupcakes however you like!


* I put the left over brownie batter in a pan and baked it so none would go to waste.  Can't let that happen!  AND I used some left over peanut butter frosting on the top of those brownies, which was a stroke of genius in and of itself.  But that's another story for another day.  :)
**  I halved the chocolate cake recipe so I only had a dozen cupcakes.