they're filled with nutella

I always like nutella, anytime, anywhere.  Inside a cupcake is no exception.  However, when filling a cupcake with nutella, one runs up against the following problem:  how to frost?  You don't want to just use nutella again, i mean you've already got the stuff inside.  No, what you need is...a complementary flavor; what you need is.....peanut butter!  The natural accompaniment to nutella and pb is, obviously, banana.  The following cupcake emerged, called "The Tricky," in honor of my best friend, who is nicknamed thusly. 

**You will note that the cupcake recipe is one-bowl, not the usual cream -butter -and -sugar then -alternatively -add -flour -and -liquid -method....and i was skeptical.  But it worked!!

The Tricky: Nutella, Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes

Makes 12

Cupcakes (recipe courtesy of Baking Illustrated):

1 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour (no sifting needed)

1 C sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 C sour cream

1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks, at room temp

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Additional Ingredients:

1 banana

1/2 jar of nutella

1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter (approx)

chocolate ganache frosting, recipe below

Preheat oven to 350, line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.

- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer.  Add butter, sour cream, egg, yolks and vanilla and beat until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds (it was longer for me, like 1 min.)  Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

- Divide the batter evenly among cups in the prepared pan.  Bake until cake tops are pale gold and a toothpick comes out clean, 20-24 minutes.  Cool to room temp.

- While the cakes are baking, prepare the ganache frosting.  I adapted this recipe from Sherrie Yard's "The Secrets of Baking,"  a book i love:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

2 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/8 to 1/4 C powdered sugar, to taste- i like less sugar

- using a serrated knife, finely chop the choco into 1/4 inch pieces and place it in a medium heatproof bowl with the butter

- place bowl over a medium pot of simmering water.  stir the choco occasionally until melted, about 2 min.  remove from heat.

- sift powdered sugar into melted choco and slowly stir in, using a rubber spatula.  Stir for 3 or 4 minutes, until all powdered sugar is absorbed.

***frosting should be used immediately for easy spreading.

Assembly:

with a small sharp knife, cut 1 inch circles in the center of the cooled cupcakes, and remove this "core."  Cut off tip so you have just a top left.  Now you have a hollow to place the nutella in.  You can either pipe nutella in, use a spoon, or cut a whole in the corner of a ziplock bag, fill with nutella, and use this as a makeshift pastry bag.  Fill the hole and place the "lid" back on the cake.  Repeat with all 12.

With a pastry bag and simple tip (or makeshift with ziplock, as above) pipe a dollop of peanut butter around the circumference of the lid to cover up the evidence of the hole.  don't worry about making it that pretty- you are going to smash a banana slice down on top of this dollop.*

cut your banana into 12 round slices and place 1 each on the dollops of pb. 

put your chocolate ganache frosting in a plastic squeeze tube or make one with ziplock (again) and pipe 2 lines over the center of the cake, like an "X".

garnish with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or cinnamon.

* A note about the peanut butter:  some found the peanut butter flavor a little overpowering....couldn't taste enough nutella/chocolate.  Next time, i might try mellowing the peanut butter flavor by beating it with a little cream and powdered sugar in the mixer first.