Just a few other notes on the recipe: Weight measurements are preferred for this recipe, and you’ll notice they’re all listed first below. Baking with weight measures is faster and easier, it’s definitely my preference which is another reason I love this book. Volume measures are also given but because they’re converted from the weight measures, they’re not as “neat” as you may be used to. The egg measurement specifically may throw you off so here’s a tip – one large egg usually weighs between 50 and 55 grams. Mine weighed 53 grams, and rather than crack a second egg, I just made up the difference with a little bit of egg white from a carton of them I had in the fridge.
By Tracey
Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream
cupcakes barely adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller
(Note: If you like to top each cupcake with a lot of frosting (like me) you’ll probably want to increase the recipe slightly – I’d make 1 1/2 times the amount below. The full recipe will top all of the cupcakes only if you do a smaller swirl than shown in the pictures.)
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
- 101 g (1/2 cup plus 3 1/2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 31 g (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
- 0.5 g (1/8 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1 g (3/8 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 56 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) egg, at room temperature
- 126 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar
- 2 g (3/8 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 86 g (1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) mayonnaise, at room temperature
- 105 g (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) water, at room temperature
Nutella Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk (I used 1%)
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add the salt and whisk to incorporate. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and continue beating for 5 minutes, or until the batter is pale yellow in color and thick. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat for another 5 minutes on medium-high. The batter should be very thick, and when the whisk is lifted, the batter should ribbon from it and slowly dissolve into the batter in the bowl. Beat in the mayonnaise until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and using a rubber spatula, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and water in two additions each (so dry, water, dry, water).
Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes, then remove them to the rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and Nutella on medium speed until well combined. Mix in the vanilla and milk. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated then increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake.
Makes about 10 cupcakes.
