The Cupcake Phenomenon

I've always preferred the savory over the sweet, which also means I've never been much of a baker. My family never ate dessert except on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I never "save room." While I prefer cooking over baking, my best friend Kim (we've been friends since kindergarten) has always had a knack for it. Kim has been taking advantage of the recent cupcake craze, combining her creativity and artistic skills to both design and decorate her own exquisite cupcakes.

Today I got to witness the artist at work. We made chocolate Nutella cupcakes stuffed with whipped Nutella mousse and topped with swirled coffee and vanilla frosting.

Kim moved so fast and knew her process so well, it was hard to keep up. I managed to write down her recipe to share with you.

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
half a jar of Nutella

FOR NUTELLA MOUSSE
2 cups whipping cream
1 Tbsp granular sugar
1 packet unflavored gelatin (we used Knox brand)
remaining half jar of Nutella

FOR FROSTING
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups, plus extra powdered sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp instant coffee crystals
1 tsp water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together dry cake ingredients in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix wet ingredients (including Nutella) together. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing completely.



Line cupcake pan with liners. Fill each cup with batter until just over half full. (That's right, half FULL). Bake about 12-15 minutes or until tops spring back when touched.



Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool.



Beat whipping cream, sugar, and gelatin with a chilled bowl and beater until it turns the consistency of whipped cream. Fold in the Nutella until combined. Refrigerate.

Core the cupcakes using an apple corer. Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before attempting to fill them.



Using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, fill the cupcakes with the whipped Nutella mousse.



For the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese in mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl, while mixing. Add the vanilla and salt and whip until airy. Divide frosting in half and reserve one portion in a separate bowl.

In a small bowl, mix coffee crystals and water until crystals are dissolved and a thick syrup forms. Add coffee mixture to one half of the frosting and blend.

HERE'S WHERE THINGS GET COMPLICATED

To swirl the frostings, fill a small pastry bag with some of the vanilla frosting and cut off the tip. Do the same in a separate bag with the coffee frosting. Put the two bags side-by-side in a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip, making sure the bags are even and not too full.



Give the bag a test squeeze and then pipe onto cupcakes in a big spiral, starting from the outside and working your way in. Voila! You have your perfect looking cupcake!



Jacob, for some reason, thinks Nutella is a girl's food and will emasculate him if he tries it. So when I described these Nutella cupcakes to him, at first he said "gross," but then I decided to rephrase it. Apparently, chocolate hazelnut cupcakes sound more gender neutral.