Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins.

In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine them well.

In a large bowl, combine oil, eggs and cream. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir by hand or with a mixer until combined and there are no lumps. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a spatula to combine them.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup or scoop, fill lined cupcake tin with batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, watching very closely after 15 minutes. Once they have risen and are set but still soft in the middle, they are done. Don’t wait for the dry toothpick test or let them get solid in the middle, because they will be over-baked, dry and crumbly.

Remove from the oven, drizzle the tops of each cupcake with a few teaspoons of Frangelico (Optional) and let cool completely before topping. Cupcakes are best at room temp, so don’t store them in the fridge. You can store them in a covered container at room temp for 3-4 days.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting. Combine the salt and cream, stirring to let the salt dissolve. Start by combining the butter and Nutella on medium speed with a hand mixer. On a low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar and cream alternating them to help prevent the powdered sugar from flying everywhere. Once all of the ingredients are combined, taste, and add more powdered sugar if you like it sweeter. Then turn the speed to high and whip until the frosting becomes smooth and lightens up a bit in color.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag or ziplock bag with a corner cut off. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and sprinkle with a few chopped hazelnuts if you wish.