Libations used: 2 Tbs Frangelico
Libations left over: None, but make yourself a cocktail if you need to imbibe while baking...
A friend of mine was celebrating her graduation from grad school last week and I wanted to bring something to her party. I knew there would be some little kids at this shindig, so I didn't want to make cupcakes that were going to get folks tipsy, and I wanted a flavor profile that would appeal to everyone. Who doesn't love chocolate-Nutella-goodness and strawberries? This recipe for Nutella Cupcakes that I found on Baked-In uses Frangelico, an Italian hazelnut liqueur in the batter so the alcohol will burn off (yay, no drunk kiddies!), and has a Nutella filling and Nutella buttercream frosting.
Make sure that you use fresh eggs when you're making the frosting so those whites whip up nicely. I was lucky to get a dozen eggs from a friend who raises chickens at Maggie's Farms, and boy, do those eggs make amazing frosting! I had also bought a huge box of strawberries that morning and decided these all-brown cupcakes needed a little color and fruity flair (I had to restrain myself from dunking too many strawberries in the Nutella jar after I was done baking). I brought almost all the cupcakes to the party and they pretty much disappeared in under 5 minutes. I think that's a pretty good sign that I need to make them again...
Ingredients for the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tbs Frangelico
- 1 cup buttermilk
Ingredients for the frosting:
- 4 large egg whites (make sure the eggs are fresh)
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Nutella
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 and line your cupcake pans.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 10 minutes until they're thick and pale.
- Turn off the mixer and add the vegetable oil, Frangelico and buttermilk.
- Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until it's fully incorporated, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the batter to the cupcake tins, filling the cups about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes, and make sure they're completely cool before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Add the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed for about 8 minutes. The egg whites should be in stiff, white peaks when you remove the whisk attachment.
- Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment and add the butter 2 Tbs at a time.
- Beat for about 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. It will go through a period where it curdles a little bit, but keep beating through that and it will come back together into an even fluffier texture.
- Add the Nutella and beat until it's fully incorporated.
To decorate the cupcakes:
- Use a small paring knife or a cupcake holer to take out a small piece of the middle.
- Fill each cupcake with 1/2 to 1 tsp of Nutella.
- Frost and garnish with a strawberry slice.
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