#38 - Nutella Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

It is the strawberries season lately and these pretty red beauties are really big, juicy and sweet at this time of the year! Don't they just look really gorgeous? Such vibrant colours and sweet flavour are just perfect as gifts to friends.

 

As for the cake base, this is probably one of the most tasty yet simplest cake base I have made among all other cupcakes. With just 3 basic ingredients, you get a rich, moist and fudgy nutella cake base that is most certain to wow your mind. How delightful is that! 

As if this wasn't enough, the absolute reason why I love this recipe is because of the  … FROSTING. 

Couple of months back, I learnt this trick from a fellow baker and ever since then, I have fallen in love with it. This trick does not require you to go through the whole process of whipping up the cream with powdered sugar to get a firm icing (which we all know can be challenging at times if your cream is not at the right temperature or fats content). Let's be honest, even if you are a seasoned cupcakes decorating professional, you wouldn't turn down a trick like this where you are have a perfectly pretty looking cupcake without going through the hassle of frosting. Would you? The magic is just to make use of toasted marshmallows instead. Not only do they look like actual frosting (and hence, making the cupcakes looking close to perfection),  the toasted marshmallows are pretty yummy too! 

As for the toppings of the cupcakes, you can make use of any fruits you like (e.g. strawberries, blueberries) or even chocolate balls. As long as they are yummy, anything goes! 

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Recipe: Adapted & modified from here.

Servings
10 cupcakes

Ingredients
100g Self Raising Flour, sifted
2 Eggs
375g Nutella

(Optional)
Nuts, chopped (eg. macadamia, almond or hazelnuts)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Line muffin tray with paper liners and set aside for later use.

3. Combine all ingredients together and mix well until batter is smooth. Do not over mix.

4. Using an ice-cream scoop, divide the batter evenly into muffins tray (with paper liners) prepared. Each muffin cup should be filled up to 1/2 to 2/3 of the way.

5. Tap muffin tray on tabletop gently to ensure that the batter is level and evenly spread out. This also help to make sure that any excess air is removed from the batter.

6. If you would like to, sprinkle chopped nuts on the batter before baking it.

7. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until top of the cupcakes are firm. Remove from oven.

8. Top each cupcake with a marshmallow and return tray back to oven to toast it for 2 - 3 minutes until marshmallow is melted. 

9. Lastly, remove cupcakes from oven and top with a strawberry before transferring to wire rack to allow cupcakes to cool completely before serving.