Nutella cupcakes

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• For the cupcake:
• 125 g unsalted butter, at room temp
• 125 g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125 g self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons milk (not skimmed)
• 5-6 teaspoons nutella
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream:
• 4 egg whites
• 250 g caster sugar
• 250 g unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons nutella (I used 3)

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from thecakedcrusader.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cases.

Start by making the cupcakes. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs, flour and milk and beat until well combined and smooth.

Spoon half the mixture evenly into the 12 paper cases.

Spoon a scant half teaspoon of nutella onto each cake and then cover with the remaining batter.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Mine took 17 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Now make the swiss meringue buttercream. Place the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir pretty much constantly to prevent the egg from cooking.

After 5-10 minutes, when the sugar has dissolved, remove the bowl from the pan of simmering water and whisk until the meringue has puffed up and the mix is cool.

Add the butter and vanilla to the meringue and whisk until the butter has been completely incorporated into the meringue. At first it will look a disaster – it will collapse and look curdled but don’t worry! Stop when the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy.

Beat the nutella into the buttercream – add a spoon at a time so you can judge how much nutella the buttercream needs.

Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and swirl onto each cupcake.

Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.

Eat.