Chocolate & hazelnut cupcake

I’ll always remember the first time Alex tried my cupcakes. He threw himself on the floor, screaming and pretending to cry because of how good they were. I was crying with laughter. Ha! Ha!
So I decided to create a new cupcake recipe, to which I added a gourmet touch. These cupcakes contain Choconut Oolong tea, available at David’s Tea (my fave! Yes, I know I’m addicted) and they are super easy to make. On top of that, the icing is made with Nutella®.
Alex says it’s just like if Mother Teresa had a child with a Nobel Prize winner. I think my cupcakes would make a perfect dessert or hostess gift.
Particularities
- ServesYields 24 cupcakes
- Prep time20 min
- Cook time25 min
- Timeout-
- FreezingFreezes well
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons Choconut Oolong Tea by David’s Tea (optional, but highly recommended)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semi-salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
For the icing
- 3/4 cup sami-salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1/4 cup Nutella®
- 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, to garnish
Steps
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
- Grind the tea in a mortar until the texture resembles powder. Set aside.
- In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl, beat the butter and tea until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the edges of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk (start and finish with the dry ingredients).
- Fill the muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter and bake for 22–25 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.
For the icing
- Beat the butter and the Nutella® in the stand mixer bowl.
- Gradually add the icing sugar and combine until smooth.
- Using a knife, generously spread icing on the cupcakes and garnish with chopped hazelnuts.
- Try not to eat them all at once!
Tips & tricks
When I make cupcakes, cookies, or muffins, I use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop for Step 7. That way, all my muffins are the same size and I know they will cook evenly and look alike. ?