Thursday 25 August 2011

Nutella Lovers' Cupcakes


A few of you lovely readers requested the recipe for the Nutella cupcakes from my cookbook of the month for August - The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook, and so I am only too happy to oblige!

I made these as part of my selection for RSPCA Cupcake Day recently and there were a popular choice! It's amazing how many people (or particular, women) swoon at the very mention of 'nutella'. There's just something about it I guess. Personally speaking, it's something I avoid keeping in my pantry cupboard as it is just too dangerous. It all starts out innocent with a teaspoonful just to get a taste, then it's a piece of white toast with some of that delicious hazelnut-chocolate spread smeared on top.. and before you know it the whole jar's empty! Irresistibly evil....



This recipe comes from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook. The great thing about this recipe is that the cupcake itself is quite light, so combined with the rich icing the result is not too over the top Nutella. The recipe and makes between 24 and 30 cupcakes. They will keep for 2 days and freeze for 2 months.

Hazelnut Cakes

2 & 3/4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
200g softened unsalted butter
1 & 3/4 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 cup hazelnut meal

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line two 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake liners of choice.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the caster sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture if light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

4. Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half the yoghurt and beat until combined. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture. Add the hazelnut meal and beat until combined.

5. Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. I like to use a levelled off ice cream scoop to quickly and evenly divide the mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Nutella Frosting

1 x 750g jar Nutella
1 tablespoon Frangelico (optional)
1/2 cup whipped cream

1. Spoon the Nutella into a bowl and stir in the Frangelico.
2. Put the whipped cream into a small bowl and fold ina quarter of the Nutella mixture.
3. Then fold the whipped cream mixture into the remaining Nutella.

Note: Above is the original frosting recipe from the book, however, I struggled with this. As it was a cold evening when I was making this, I ended up sitting the nutella jar in hot tapwater before transferring its contents to a bowl. I also had difficulty combining the nutella, frangelico and cream all together and ended up using a stick blender to combine the three ingredients sufficiently to achieve a spreadable consistency. I piped mine onto the cupcakes and topped with crushed hazelnuts. Sooo... you may need to improvise a little with the frosting recipe to make it work for you...  Alternatively - here's an idea I think I'll be using next time: Drizzle a little frangelico over the cupcakes and then frost with straight Nutella! :) Yum!


Tell me, dear readers, does Nutella do it for you?

Ladybird xxx

15 comments:

  1. I like nutella, but my boyfriend LOVES it. He comes home and eats it with a spoon straight from the jar! No doubt, this recipe will come in handy :)

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  2. These cupcakes are great for Nutella fans like me!

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  3. These sound amazing! Thanks for posting the recipe. I love nutella icing. I use nutella instead of peanut butter in a regular peanut butter buttercream and it tastes great!

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  4. I stopped buying Nutella beacause were eating it waaaaay to fast. This recipe is weakening my resolve! I may just buy some this weekend. Frangelico is one of favourite liquors too, yummm....

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  5. mmm I have chocolate spread that is pretty much the same as nutella but is dairy free...on toast. So I think I would love these mmmm I think im going to make some strawberry cupcakes tommorow :)

    Rose

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  6. I used to bring those little packs of nutella to school- the ones which you eat with a stick? They were my favourite! :D I can just imagine how great these cupcakes taste! Especially the icing!

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  7. just what i needed! thank you! im looking for a nutella cake recipe for my friends bday. :D

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  8. yum! I usually warm my nutella up in the microwave, quick 5 sec just to 'loosen' it up otherwise I find it quite hard to combine it with things

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  9. Hope those of you who try it like the recipe! Great tip, Vivian :)

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  10. i eat nutella right out of the jar, this is one recipe i'll have to try out.

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  11. Anyone have any trouble with this frosting splitting? It split like a badly done ganache for me and nothing I have done (mostly ganache recovery techniques) will resurrect it! I don't want to throw out all that nutella! Any help greatly appreciated :)

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  12. These stories are truly incredible. Thank you for this information. นิโก้ โควัช

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