Nutella Cupcakes

Ah, Nutella! It's one of those random grocery store items that people either really like or really don't. I'm personally a fan of chocolate-hazelnut spread, particularly as part of a peanut butter (and nutella) sandwich or with pretzels. Seriously, try them! Texas pretzels work the best - they're shaped like cowboy boots. :D

 My love affair for Nutella began with my friend Katie, when I was a freshman in college. She had been to Italy the previous summer, and loved Nutella. Along with Eggo waffles and boxed macaroni and cheese, it was one of her main food groups. So, naturally, I had to try some! It was delicious - chocolatey without being overwhelmingly rich.

Fast-forward to last summer! Katie and I and our new friend Eric were studying for classes we were taking over the summer - our go-to snack was Nutella and Texas Pretzels (see above!). It was a very silly summer, and I spent many an afternoon bonding with them over Nutella.

This recipe is dedicated to Katie and Eric, who are awesome people as well as fellow Nutella-lovers. I was going to make these cupcakes in honor of World Nutella Day (which is February 5th!) but I didn't really have the facilities necessary for them. Alas...there's always next year!

The original recipe I found called these cupcakes "self-frosting" because of the nice Nutella topping. They are pretty sweet without adding anything to them! However, don't let that stop you. The first time I made these, I wanted to ice them but I was short on time so I just blended some canned vanilla frosting with nutella. It was delicious! Icing definitely adds to these cupcakes if you want a little more sweetness.

Also note that the batter will be really thick when you put it into the cupcake liners. That's good! It will keep the dense Nutella from sinking to the bottom. Using an ice-cream scoop is the best way to ensure you fill the muffin tin to the right level. :)
 

Nutella Cupcakes

Source:Home Cooking Rocks

Makes 9-12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Roughly 2/3 c. stick butter
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 and 3/4 c. flour
• 1/4 t. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 9-12 heaping t. Nutella (one for each cupcake!)

Before you start:Make sure your eggs, butter, and Nutella are at room temperature. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Recipe

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a mixer, beat it until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth.
Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners, and spoon the batter so that the liners are roughly 3/4 full. Ice cream scoops work best here!
Dollop a heaping teaspoon of Nutella on the top of each cupcake. Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella with the batter so that some of the batter shows on top of the cupcake and the Nutella is distributed.
Bake your cupcakes for 20 minutes. 

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!