Nutella-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line your cupcake tins with paper liners (recipe makes roughly 16 cupcakes) and set aside.

In a large bowl using a mixer, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Add the butter and mix until combined. It should resemble coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the milk, until just combined.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until about ⅔ full. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean; the cupcakes should not turn brown at all. Remove pan from oven. Let the cool completely.

For the buttercream:
In a small bowl, add the salt to the milk and stir until dissolved.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time. Whisk well after each addition, so that the sugar is entirely incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla extract and milk. The frosting should be fluffy and creamy. If it is too thick, whisk in more milk. If it’s too thin, whisk in more powdered sugar.

For the assembly:
Cut a small circular 1-inch deep divot into the middle of the cupcake tops. Remove the piece you just cut, and cut off the tip of the divot. Add about 2 teaspoons of Nutella into the hole in the cupcake and replace the top part of the piece you removed. Repeat with the other cupcakes.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. Sprinkle with shaved white chocolate, if desired.

Cake recipe adapted from The Cupcake Project