Nutella Cupcakes

Today's comfort food is a delicacy! Nutella Cupcakes...

What better way to spend a day than one spoon of Nutella for the cupcakes... one spoon of Nutella for me... I almost went through an entire 750g jar, when the recipe only calls for 80g and a few teaspoons full... oops.

A spoon full of Nutella is how the Mary Poppins song should have gone... because a spoonful of Nutella will make anything go down. It is the best way to fix what may have been a crappy day.

I am pleased to report that not one mishap occurred during today's baking session, hard to believe I know! I must be getting better at this after all.

Please enjoy, they are beyond delicious...

Nutella Cupcakes:
(Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook - makes 12 - 14)

45g of butter
100g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
120ml full cream milk
1 egg
A jar of Nutella - to put 1 tsp in the centre of each cake
Hazelnuts (1 each for inside the cupcakes and enough to decorate the tops)

icing:
250g icing sugar
80g butter
25ml full cream milk
80g Nutella

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 190 degrees celcius and line muffin tray with cupcake liners.

2. Beat butter in mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix on a low speed until the mixture looks crumbly.

4. With the mixer still on slow, gradually pour in the milk. Mix until well incorporated.

5. Add in the egg and beat until well combined.

6. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners, approx half full.

7. Place in oven for approx 20 mins. Skewer should come out with a few crumbs stuck. Remove and let cool in the tray until tray can be picked up with bare hands.

8. Leave cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

9. When cupcakes have completely cooled insert a hazelnut into the middle of a cupcake followed by approx half a teaspoon of Nutella.

10. Beat the butter for the icing until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar until well mixed. On a slow speed, pour in the milk then mix on high speed for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy. The longer it is left to mix, the fluffier it will be. Stir the Nutella in slowly until well mixed.

11. Ice cupcakes and decorate with hazelnuts.

Happy Baking!