Nutella is one of those things you either love or hate. Whenever we go on holiday to France my husband eats it for breakfast almost every day. He never does when we are in the UK so it must be a holiday thing. My friend Maren is very fond of it too! So these cupcakes are dedicated to them – true Nutella fans! I baked these in my new retro spotty cupcake cases – so cute that I had to use them instantly!

Nutella Lover's Cupcakes

Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 15 – 20 minutes Makes 18 cakes

115g/4oz butter, softened

115g/4oz caster sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

85g/3oz self raising flour, sifted

30g/1oz cocoa, sifted

100g/3½oz hazelnuts, coarsly chopped

100g/3½oz plain chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp soured cream

For the icing

360g/12½oz icing sugar, sifted

125g/4½oz/heaped ½ cup/1 ¼ sticks butter, softened

115g/4oz plain chocolate, melted

2 tbsp Chocolate hazelnut paste (Nutella!)

2tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/350°F and place 18 cake cases in two bun trays. Whisk together the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl using a whisk or mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs and whisk again. Fold in the flour and cocoa using a large metal spoon and then gently fold through two thirds of the hazelnuts, the chopped chocolate and the soured cream. Place a spoonful of cake mixture into each cake case and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the cakes are firm to touch. Leave to cool.

Place all the icing ingredients in a mixing bowl (you should retain a tablespoon of the melted chocolate for decoration) and whisk with a hand mixer or whisk for 4 – 5 minutes to form a creamy icing. Pipe onto the cooled cakes and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts. Using a fork drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the cakes and leave to set.