Chocolate Cake with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you have a favourite chocolate cake? I don't. Well, not particularly. I like chocolate cakes that are really, really chocolaty and very, very moist. As long as these two requirements are met, I'm not fussy. 

And usually, I like my chocolate cake with a purely chocolate ganache or frosting. Nothing fancy. Nothing too experimental. But, when I came across a recipe for a Nutella Cream frosting, I was tempted. I was even tempted to add Nutella inside my cupcakes but I chickened out at the last minute and added chocolate chunks inside instead. 

See how dark the cake is? Rich! Chocolaty! Moist! Yay.

The method for making this cake is real simple — it's a one-bowl cake that's perfect for slacker Sundays. What the heck is a one-bowl cake? It means you simply mix all the ingredients in one bowl at one go (almost) and voila, you're done. No need to cream the butter and sugar first. No need to melt any chocolate. A real time saver with guaranteed results.

That's the cake. The frosting? Just as easy. Also one-bowl ... one mixer bowl, that is. Unless you feel like hand whisking. 

The result? The cake was nice and chocolaty and the frosting? If you like Nutella, you'll love it. Me? I like it but I'd revert to pure chocolate frosting next time. I'm just boring that way.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
3/4 cup cocoa
11/2 cups all purpose flour
11/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
11/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups chunks of chocolate (dark or milky, it's your choice)


Preheat oven to 180C.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Mix in sugar. Add the eggs, water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix till smooth with a wooden spoon. Fold in the chips.
Fill cupcake liners with batter (only 2/3 full) and bake for 20 mins or till cake tester comes out clean.  Cool cakes completely before frosting.


Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
226g cream cheese
50g softened butter
50g nutella
1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted


Cream the cheese and butter till smooth. Add sugar and nutella and mix until well incorporated.