Nutella, Pretzels, and Beer.. Oh my!

We all know that pretzels and beer go together, but adding nutella is well, just icing on the cupcake. The hazelnut and chocolate flavors play well with the rich, nutty flavor of the beer. It is a beer’s drinker dessert and even for the non-beer drinkers, this nutella beer cupcake might convert an anti-beer patron into ordering a cold pint.

This cupcake recipe made me think of my older brother who is one of the most talented people I know. A jack of all trades: professor, landscape architect, woodworker, beer maker, road racer, great gardener, and he can make a mean crepe. Rick and I will be going up north in May, and I am looking forward to a breakfast of crepes covered with nutella and bananas, but until then this cupcake will hold me over.

Beer Cupcake

• 1 ½ cups of cake flour
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• a dash of salt
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 bottle beer (I used a Chimay, go for the quality beer)
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda

How:

Cream butter and brown sugar in mixer. One at a time add the eggs. In a separate bowl mix all your dry ingredients. Slowly add 1/4 amount of dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Pour in beer and mix. Bake at 350 for 20- 25 minutes and until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Need:

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

How:

Cream the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl or a stand-up mixer. Add the nutella and vanilla and continue to cream. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar as you continue to cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high-speed until fluffy and smooth.

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