When I started experimenting in the kitchen, I wasn’t trying to cook, I was trying to bake. Baking is my first love. Surprisingly, I started not with cookies, nor with muffins or cupcakes; I started with fancy layered cakes with different kinds of mousse fillings and homemade lady fingers. Those cakes turned out so great, that a few of my friends actually paid me to make them for their special occasions. After I enjoyed a brief success of those desserts, I started thinking about baking in general and for a few short months I toyed with an idea of opening a *gasp* bakery. I gave up that idea, but it prompted me to consider baking a bit more seriously and I actually went to a baking school. For about a year I took night classes 2-3 times a week and then came to work with assortments of cookies, muffins, cakes, breads, pastries, chocolates etc. My colleagues loved me! My waist hated me.

I don’t bake as often as I used to (it is a coincidence that my last few posts are all about baking), but I enjoy it a lot. I use cookbooks and cooking websites religiously. I am not good at making something up. However, I’m pretty good at modifying existing recipes.

This recipe is a good example. It started with a bit different ingredients and proportions and after a few years, it finally turned into these fluffy, moist, caramel-coloured little cakes. I know, I know, real cupcakes are supposed to have frosting, but I am not a big fan. In fact, I am not a fan at all. I never eat frosting on cupcakes. So, here I put a little surprise in the middle to make up for the lack of icing.

for 12 medium cupcakes

Butter, room temperature – 170g (12 tablespoons)

Brown sugar – 200g

Pure orange oil – 3 teaspoons (optional)

Eggs – 4 large

All-purpose flour – 250g

Baking powder – 1 teaspoon

Milk – 4 teaspoons

Nutella – 6 teaspoons

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).

In a big bowl, combine soft butter and brown sugar.

Using a hand mixer, mix it together until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add orange oil if using and mix.

Add eggs one at a time and mix between each addition. Mixture may separate, but it’ll come together again.

In a separate small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Mix.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix with a spatula.

Add milk and mix.

Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix with a spatula just until flour disappears. Do not overmix.

Line the muffin tins with cupcakes liners.

Fill the cupcake tins halfway with the batter.

Add Nutella, about 1/2 teaspoon for each cupcake.

Cover with batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cupcakes are baked through, rotating the pans in the middle of baking.

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