Saturday, March 10, 2012

Bible Lesson #11: Nutella Cupcakes... No words needed...

Yes, you read correctly. I said Nutella Cupcakes. And yes, your world just got a whole lot better. Magic in a jar is the first thought that comes to mind when I think of Nutella. It's a creamy spread of cocoa (chocolate) and hazelnuts that can be spread onto breads, fruit, anything you could think of. I have a fairly strong sense of self control, however when it comes to this tempting spread from the devil himself (or possibly God just loves us that much!), your will is weakened to the strength of a limp noodle, and like me, you eat it straight out of the jar - spoon optional. If I really let myself go - this is what would happen... pure joy.




My first encounter with this life-changing, has-its-own-food-group-on-the-pyramid, staple, I was a freshman in college. I had never heard of it before (which let's be honest, was a miracle for my chubby little self growing up) and had become a skeptic. It took me about a month until I gave in and tried it. And I've never looked back. 


I make these often, especially when I'm asked to bring something. They are relatively easy, huge crowd pleaser, and just yummy. I made this batch for one of my good friend's birthday. It's all she dreams about at night... 


This recipe is one that I've played around with. I went through somewhat of a cupcake phase, and this magic was created. Please enjoy - the cake is moist, and stays that way for days; the Nutella buttercream frosting is sinful; and the smile that comes from it all is just the sprinkles on the cupcake.


NUTELLA CUPCAKES:

Cake:
Devil’s Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
½ cup oil
¼ cup milk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
24 teaspoons Nutella (1 per cupcake)

Nutella Buttercream:
¾ cup Nutella
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ -2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins - I like the foil ones - double lining, but looks classy.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk, water and vanilla.
3. Sift in cake mix and stir in sour cream.
4. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and then place a teaspoon of Nutella on top of each one. Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella into the batter.
5. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the sides spring back. (The tops will stay gooey because of the Nutella.)
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, let cool on rack about 5 minutes.  Place  into airtight containers so seal in moisture.
7. Buttercream: Beat the Nutella and butter for 5 minutes. Add vanilla, then alternate between adding powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Taste the buttercream until you reach your desired sweetness. You may need to refrigerate the buttercream before piping it onto cooled cupcakes.



Frosting - I don't like frosting, like at all. Unusual for someone in the kitchen? Possibly. However, I like to just frost mine with a thin layer (like in the picture), but you can do however much or little you prefer. 




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