Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes aka Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

I've just finished an amazing rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology, one of my very last as a medical student (4 weeks to go eek!).  I was part of an incredible team of doctors, midwives, nurses, and health assistants who worked passionately and tirelessly over crazy long hours to help mums bring little bubbas into the world.

What a responsibility. What a rush. What an incredible privilege.

So what better way to thank these amazing human beings/super heroes than with some scrummy thank you baking: Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes. Like a Ferrero Rocher in a cupcake.

Oh and did I mention the run was intense? As you can imagine babies don't politely arrive during office hours. Oh no, babies come any time, all day, every day.  So this recipe not only had to be delicious and special but also super quick and super easy for my underslept brain to whip up. 

And of course, blinged out coz really who doesn't love a little sparkle.

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes | bakingequalslove.com

Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes ~20 cupcakes

2 cups plain flour
1 3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp vegetable shortening (e.g. kremelta)
1/2 cup flavourless oil (e.g. canola oil)
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt

1. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners and preheat oven to 180oC making sure the oven rack is in the centre of the oven.

2. Using a food processor, blend the flour, caster sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt with the vegetable shortening until there are no big lumps and the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

3. Add eggs, oil, water, vanilla and yoghurt and process until just mixed in ~30 seconds-1 minute.

4. Scoop into the baking cups and fill to 2/3-3/4 full.

6. Bake one tray at a time for 20 - 25 minutes turning once. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of one cupcake.  Take the cupcakes out of the muffin tin immediately and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Nutella Frosting 

Makes enough frosting for 20 cupcakes using the rosette decoration as pictured (You will need to double the amount of frosting if you are planning on decorating with a 1M swirl/ice cream swirl). 

230g unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt (Note: omit if using salted butter)
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread)
1 Tablespoon double cream

1. In a food processor, blend the butter till creamy and smooth. Add icing sugar, salt, and cocoa, blend well. Add nutella and cream and blend until smooth. Taste and check consistency: adding more icing sugar if too loose or a little more cream if too stiff or more cocoa if not chocolately enough etc. Frosting should have the consistency soft serve ice cream or toothpaste!

2. Pipe frosting onto your cooled cupcakes however you like! For a tutorial on how to do the rosette piping (as pictured in this post): click here. For a tutorial on how to do the 1M swirl /  Ice cream swirl: click here. Lightly sprinkle edible gold glitter on top for bling factor.

Note:
The edible gold glitter decoration I purchased from my go to NZ online cake supplies shop Kiwi Cakes.