Chocolate and Hazelnut Cupcakes

Good morning girlies!

A few weeks back I used my Hummingbird Bakery cookbook that Darren ♥ bought me for Christmas to make these gorgeous cupcakes! I am on Weight Watchers at the minute and I won’t lie to you I’m struggling. I was doing so well before Christmas and was 2 pound away from my stone award I’m back up to 8 pound lost, 8 pound in 17 weeks is rubbish, but I’m not giving up. The week that I decided to make these I didn’t go to Weight Watchers and the bad eating carried on for 2 weeks, when I went back to Weight Watchers I had gained 4½ pound! It was well deserved and very easy to do!

Pages 14-45 in the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook muffin cases were used  instead of cupcake cases, with muffin cases this recipe makes 12 and on Weight Watchers they are 10 pro points each. If you were to make them in cupcake cases the recipe would make 18 and the pro points would be 7. I followed the recipe and made 12 in muffin cases.

1 ate 4 of these cupcakes (greedy cow! Haha)

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g butter, at room temperature

120ml whole milk

1 medium egg

120 Nutella

36 whole hazelnuts to decorate

Frosting

250g icing sugar, sifted

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml whole milk

80g Nutella

12 silicone cases or a 12 hole tray

Makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 170’C (325’F) Gas 3.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric whisk with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the egg and beat well (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each one and fill with a dollop of hazelnut and chocolate spread. (the cute outs are lovely with a bit of nutella on them!)

Frosting

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed. Slowly pour in the milk, then when it is all incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

Stir in the hazelnut and chocolate spread by hand until evenly mixed into the frosting. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the frosting on top and finish with 3 hazelnuts per cupcake. Voila!

This recipe said to use muffin cases instead of cupcake cases which are a little bigger, however next time I make these I will use cupcake cases because I prefer my cupcakes to be a little deeper in sponge!

Nom Nom Nom!

♥