Monday, February 17, 2014

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes & Mini Cakes

Nutella is the most delicious food ever created! I love this stuff! It pairs well with everything: dipping strawberries, apples or bananas, on pancakes or crepes (especially good with raspberry jam!), mixing in with chocolate cake, cupcakes and cake pops, etc. 

For the Super Bowl, I made mini cakes in the shape of footballs. If they were on a stick, they'd be cake pops. (Long story short, I didn't have styrofoam to place the cake pops and I didn't want to put them on sticks, therefore "mini cakes!")


I began by baking Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake; you can find the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box. 


I've included a copy here for you too! 

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
2 c Sugar
1 3/4 c all-purpose Flour
3/4 c Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 c Milk
1/2 c Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 c Boiling Water

1. Heat oven to 350'F. Grease and flour two 9-in round baking pans. 
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans. 
3. Bake 30-35 min or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min. 


To make mini cakes: 
1. Remove cake from pans into a large mixing bowl and mix until it's all crumbles. 
2. Add 3/4-1 c of Nutella and blend thoroughly. 
3. Using your hands or a cookie cutter, create your desired shape and freeze for 1/2-1 hr. Must be firm enough so the it doesn't crumble in your hand. (Since I live in Alaska, during the winter I can just set it outside!)
4. Dip in your choice of melting chocolate. I hold the mini cake on a fork and dump (not drizzle!) chocolate over it. Touch up the sides gently and let cool/harden. 


To make cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350'. Bake at 325' for 25-30 min in muffin pans with liners. 
2. Cool completely, then scoop out center with cupcake corer and fill with Nutella. 
3. Frost with your favorite frosting! (Hint: mix some Nutella into your frosting for extra yumminess!)


What are some foods & desserts you pair with Nutella? 

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