Friday 9 June 2017

Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Nutella Buttercream.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

When you're in the mood for Nutella, only Nutella will do.

Which is why these cupcakes are my go-to whenever that mood strikes.
I've actually not made many desserts in Ramadan so far. We usually make a mango milkshake at Iftar and that normally takes care of any sweet craving.

But once the weekend hits, I will most likely whip up something a little more substantial in the sweet department. Last week, I made a no-bake cheesecake with another of my favourite sweet spreads - Biscoff! It was ridiculously good and you can be sure that I will be sharing the recipe here soon.

When I'm in the mood for a simple no-fuss Nutella sweet treat, these cupcakes are my go-to. I kept the sponge plain and simple by just making my classic vanilla cupcake batter. I feel that with these cupcakes, the Nutella is the star and so I didn't want it clashing with anything except the neutral vanilla.

The star here is of course, the whipped buttercream. Soft butter is key as is being sure to really beat it for a good five minutes until pale and fluffy. There is a lot of Nutella in the recipe so don't be alarmed. If I'm going to have Nutella in my buttercream, then I'd better be able to taste it. These cupcakes are soft and fluffy. I know it sounds cliche to say that they are as light as air, but if made correctly, these really are. I found that a sprinkling of rainbow sprinkles was all they needed to finish them off with a little crunch. But if you decide to go with an extra drizzle of Nutella, there'll be no complaints from me.

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Cupcakes:
1. Margarine
2. Caster Sugar
3. Eggs
5. Baking Powder
6. Self-Raising Flour
7. Milk

For the Whipped Nutella Buttercream:
1. Butter
2. Icing Sugar
3. Nutella
4. Milk or Double Cream
6. Salt

Bismillah, let's begin!

Before baking, get the oven on to 180C. Take a 12 hole cupcake tin.

Line the tin with paper cases and set aside until needed.

Let's start with the vanilla cake batter! Into a bowl, place 170g Margarine or Soft Butter.

Add in 140g Caster Sugar.

I used an electric whisk to mix my batter. You can also make the cupcakes by hand or in a stand mixer.

Beat the margarine and sugar until ...

... pale and well combined.

Then, take 3 large Eggs.

We're going to beat the eggs in one by one. Crack one into a jug.

Give it a quick whisk with a fork.

Pour the egg into the bowl.

Beat each beaten egg in one at a time.

Until all three eggs are in!

Then, beat in 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence for a lovely flavour.

Next, to help the cupcakes rise a little more, add in 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder.

Along with the flour - I added in 200g Self-Raising Flour.

Beat until you can no longer see the flour.

Finally, add in 3 tablespoons Milk. This helps to loosen the batter.

Stir in the milk and we're done!

Fill the paper cases 3/4 full. This recipe makes between 12-14 cupcakes.

Bake the cakes at 180C for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden brown. The cupcakes are done when a skewer inserted into the centre of one comes out clean with no wet batter on it.

Let the cakes sit in the hot tin for 5 minutes.

Then, move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before decorating.

When you're ready to decorate, make the whipped Nutella buttercream. Into a large bowl, place 200g Butter, at room temperature.


Beat the butter with an electric whisk or stand mixer for 5 minutes.


Then, sieve in 210g Icing Sugar.


Beat really well on a high speed for 3-4 minutes.


Next, Nutella!


Measure out 190g Nutella, at room temperature. It is a lot but is so worth it!


Add the Nutella to the bowl.


And, beat in on high speed for another 2 minutes.


Finally, add in:
3-4 tablespoons Milk or Double Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
1/4 teaspoon Salt


Beat again until really well whipped and creamy.


And, our buttercream is done!

Once the cakes are cool, we can decorate.


You can decorate them any way you like. I scooped some of the centre out of the cake.


And, into each centre ...


... I piped in a little of the Nutella buttercream.


The top was pressed back on!


And, we pipe!


My Mum has some nice piping skills!


Let's finish really simply with Rainbow Sprinkles.


Done!


Continue decorating the rest of the cupcakes.



If you're a Nutella fan, these cupcakes are for you. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Happy Friday!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Whipped Nutella Buttercream.

Prep Time: About 30 minutes.
Baking Time: About 15-20 minutes.
Serves: Makes approximately 12-14 cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cupcakes
170g Margarine or Soft Butter
140g Caster Sugar
3 large Eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Halal Vanilla Essence
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
200g Self-Raising Flour
3 tablespoons Milk

For the Whipped Nutella Buttercream
200g Butter, at room temperature
210g Icing Sugar, sifted
190g Nutella, at room temperature
3-4 tablespoons Milk or Double Cream
2 teaspoons Halal Vanilla Essence
1/4 teaspoon Salt

To Decorate
Rainbow Sprinkles

Before baking:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

Make the vanilla cake batter:
In a large bowl, place the margarine and caster sugar. Beat with an electric whisk until pale and well combined. One at time, beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Beat after each addition of the egg. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the baking powder and self-raising flour. Finally, stir in the milk.

Bake the cupcakes:
Fill the cupcake cases 3/4 of the way up. If you have extra batter, bake more cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes at 180C until they are golden and risen. If you insert one with a skewer/toothpick in the middle, the skewer should come out clean with no wet batter on it.

Cool:
Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for 5 minutes. Then, move onto a wire rack and let them cool completely before decorating.

Make the whipped Nutella buttercream:
Beat the soft butter in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for 5 minutes on a high speed. Sieve in the icing sugar and beat again for 3-4 minutes until well whipped. Add in the Nutella and beat for another 2 minutes. Add in the milk, vanilla essence and salt. Beat until well combined and really creamy.

Assemble the cupcakes:
Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe the buttercream over the cupcakes in whichever way you like. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles. Serve!

Recipe Notes

  • If the cake batter curdles after you have beaten in the eggs, don't panic! Just continue with the recipe and I promise, Insha Allah, all will be fine.
  • If the buttercream is too thick, add more milk or double cream.
  • If the buttercream is too loose, add more icing sugar.
  • The cupcakes taste best at room temperature. The buttercream will harden if stored in the fridge. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge at least 15 minutes before serving.
{buttercream adapted from sally's baking addiction}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your Nutella cupcakes!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


Spice Enthusiast
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