Nutella Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Hazelnuts - GLUTEN FREE

With gluten free cupcakes, adding a filling brings more attention to the filling itself rather than the muffin which can sometimes have a different taste to regular baking. I have found a recipe which most people cant even tell is gluten free which is seen below and works fine with regular flour too. I am a huge fan of nutella and there is nothing better than biting into a light and fluffy cupcake with nutella all through the middle.. YUM

Chocolate cupcakes:
Makes 24 big cupcakes and 24 small cupcakes

3 cups gluten free flour (Healtheries baking mix)
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T instant coffee
1 cup hot water
1 cup cocoa
1 cup cold water
200g softened butter
2 1/2 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170'c and line two 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.
In the bowl of your electric mixer cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the castor sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and sugar had almost dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each. Add vanilla extract.

Sift together the four, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the coffee, hot water and cocoa until you have a smooth paste. Add the cold water and mix until evenly combined. Add a quater of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on a low speed until combined. 

Add a third of the cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Repeat this process twice more. Add the reaming quarter of flour and beat until thoroughly combined. Do not over beat or it will toughen the mixture.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4's full. Bake for 15-18mins. Removes cupcakes from tray and cool for at least 30mins before icing.

Once cupcakes are cooled, use a knife to gently core out the centre. Fill a piping bag with about 2 heaped spoons from the nutella jar and fill the cupcakes.

Fluffy Vanilla frosting:
Makes 4 cups of frosting - enough for 24 cupcakes
8 cups icing suagr
200g softened butter
1/3 c milk
1 T vanilla

Method: Cream the butter for 3-4 minutes or until very pale. Add milk and vanilla and half of the icing sugar mixture, beat for at least 1 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add remaining icing sugar and beat for a further 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy or at a spreadable consistency.

Take about 100g of hazelnuts and chop into small pieces. Lightly dry roast until a brown, be careful not to burn. Leave a side to cool. 

Pipe on icing, sprinkle over the cupcakes and great a small amount of chocolate over the top and ENJOY