banana & nutella cupcakes {recipe}

While we were in NYC my goal was to go on a cupcake tour. Well, that necessarily didn’t happen but we did manage to stumble upon Billy’s Bakery after our tapas dinner in Chelsea. The shop was so cute and the pastries that were offered were right up the line of what I would serve in my dream bakery. I wanted to order a few but I only ordered a banana cupcake with nutella buttercream. I have been thinking of that cupcake ever since and decided to whip up a dozen for our last minute Labor Day barbecue. I started off with this banana cake recipe. I ditched my go-to recipe because my original goal was to bake a cake but time got away from me. Plus, I love checking “to-bake” recipes off of my Pinterest board. The cake is to-die for, like seriously, to-die for. I wanted nutella buttercream to top the delicately moist cake but I wanted my version to taste more like nutella vs. Billy’s not-so-nutella. The recipe for my nutella buttercream is below. In the words of my two-year-old, “Seriously?!…So yummy!”

Nutella Buttercream
(recipe makes enough for one dozen cupcakes)

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Nutella
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup half & half (whipping cream or milk works as well)

Cream together the butter and nutella, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once combined add the half & half. Beat the frosting for roughly five minutes. The frosting should be pale brown, light and airy. If the frosting is still too thick add in additional milk until you achieve the consistency you are looking for. Decorate how you desire.