Howdy Y’all,
Happy Tuesday, I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that one of the responsibilities of Mr L’s job is that I have to produce cakes once a month to boost team morale (poison everyone more like.) So at first I was a little daunted, I used to love to bake, that was before Little L arrived and more honestly before we moved to the US. I have found it difficult getting used to ingredient changes. It may sound peculiar but butter, milk etc seems a little different and converting recipes from UK to US conversion is not as simple as it sounds. So this has given me the incentive to get my LL butt into action. This month I decided we would give Hazelnut and Chocolate Cupcakes a stab. So here is a very amateur photographic journey of sampling the recipe.
Recipe, so easy to follow on this lovely wooden stand, (thanks Mr L) prevents cookbooks from getting dirty.
Hazelnut and Chocolate cupcakes The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Servings: 12 (I doubled all ingredient amounts below to make 24 cupcakes.)
You will need a muffin tin and cupcake cases.
Ingredients
100g plain flour
20g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar (I used regular organic cane sugar.)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
A healthy pinch of salt
40g butter, at room temp. (I used organic unsalted butter.)
120ml whole milk (I think you need the fat content to give lightness to the flour.)
1 egg
120g Nutella (I used yummy Justin’s Hazelnut & Chocolate Butter (same thing, worked fine.)
36 whole, shelled hazelnuts, to decorate
Frosting/Icing
250g icing/powdered sugar
80g butter, at room temp (I used organic unsalted butter.)
25 ml whole milk
80g Nutella (I used yummy Justin’s Hazelnut & Chocolate Butter (same thing, worked fine.)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325F/170C
2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand whisk.) and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
No not slave labor but Little L loving mixing.
When it calls for the hard work, bring out the big guns! God bless Kitchen Aid Mixers.
3. 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.)
The mixture coming together.
After placing mixture into cases. The reason I am showing this picture is because I used a small ice cream scoop to divide mixture into cases. I was hoping they would be evenly sized then. (Fail.)
4. Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 mins, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.
24 cupcakes pre-oven
Apres Oven
5. 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.
Frosting/Icing
- Beat the icing/powdered sugar and butter together in a free standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use handheld whisk.) On a medium speed beat till mixture comes together.
- Turn mixer to slow speed and slowly add milk.
- When the milk is incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and continue beating until icing/frosting is light and fluffy at least 5 mins (I did 7.)
Mixing Fun!e longer it beats the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
- Stir in the hazelnut and chocolate spread by hand until evenly incorporated.
- When cupcakes are cool, spoon frosting on top and finish with 3 hazelnuts per cupcake.
After adding the choc and hazelnut butter – trying so hard not to lick the bowl (am I 5- hell yeh!)
Finished product, presentation not briil but this photo does them no credit!
Cupcake complete and not too bad.
Lifestyle Lady Top Tips
- Instead of sifting flour or icing/powdered sugar if you place it in a bowl and whisk it works the same way but less mess (I am all for that.)
- If you are worried about any of the ingredients (especially powdered) escaping when you switch the mixer on place a damp drying cloth over machine and it stops the mess.
Lifestyle Lady Verdict
As I mentioned previously presentation is not my strength, especially when I have a toddler literally pulling at my leg begging me to go play. I am a little concerned that the sponge will be a dry as I put them in the oven for a little longer because my oven temperature is appalling. I also personally prefer my sponge a little drier than undercooked. I once had undercooked donuts and I can not touch them now. (Diet tip!) The recipe was also very clear and easy to follow. They always are from Hummingbird Bakery. I wanted to share with you that this will forever be a special recipe for me because it was the first I made with Little L. I can not express in writing how wonderful it was to have my little girl standing next to me (on steps,) sharing baking, something I remember doing with my granny before she was taken too early. I actually have tears in my eyes as I write this (not LL like at all!!) She was really interested and thrilled to be helping me and it is a memory I will treasure and carry with me always and wanted to share with you all.
I do not often share pictures of Little Lifestyle on the blog but today I felt was an exception. This picture sums up what a special memory was shared between us. Plus she is darn sweet, (even if I am a bias Mama Lifestyle.)
Happy Baking!
Ta ta for now,
TLL x
