Ferrero Cupcakes

So I was really in the humour to bake something delicious this week and when I searched by baking press I began to feel a little inventive. I saw the box of unopened Ferrero Rochers that I had been trying to avoid since Christmas and thought why not try something new. I based my recipe on a standard sponge that I tweak for almost every cupcake or cake I bake and decided to add Nutella and crushed Ferreros. I wasn't 100% sure how the cupcakes would turn out but despite my worries, they were a massive hit at home and in work, and Dave, my chocolate monster boyfriend, couldn't get enough of them!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE MIX

225g Butter (softened)

225g Caster Sugar

4 large Eggs / 5 medium

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

3 tbsp Cocoa Powder (sieved)

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

200g Icing Sugar

100g Butter (softened)

1 tsp Cocoa Powder

25g Dark Chocolate 

1 tbsp Nutella 

2 tbsp Boiling Water

EXTRAS

Approx. 6 Ferrero Rocher sweets

12 whole Hazelnuts

Nutella

Method

FOR THE CAKE MIX

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4 and line your muffin tray with muffin cases

2) Cream your butter and sugar together  in the mixing bowl 

3) When the mixture is creamed, add the eggs, one at a time

4) When the mixture is fully combined, begin to add the flour, again, one spoon at a time

5) When all of the flour has been added, add the cocoa powder

6) When fully combined, stop the beater and spoon one large dollop of the mixture into each of the bun cases

7) Then bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the buns are firm to the touch

8) When baked, leave the buns to cool on a wire rack while you make the buttercream.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

1) Cream the butter and icing sugar together in your mixer until white and fully combined (this may take a while -be patient)

2) Add the cocoa powder and continue to beat until combined again

3) Then leaving the mixture beating, melt the chocolate and the Nutella together in a bowl in the microwave- stop the microwave every 15 seconds and stir the chocolate

4) When melted, add the chocolate to the mixer while it is beating - one spoon at a time

5) Leave to mix and finally add in the boiling water while beating again

6) Beat for a further few minutes and leave to one side

To Assemble

1) Using a knife, cut a circular piece of the bun from each and leave to one side

2) Using a spoon, add a dollop of Nutella and a hazelnut to each cupcake and put the piece you cut from the cupcake back on top 

     

3) Using your piping bag, pipe the butter cream onto each of the cupcakes, covering any Nutella that may be on the surface

4) Cut each of the Ferrero Rocher sweets into two or three and stick a piece on top of each cupcake (You can also add the crumbs for a nice effect)

My little cousin Ella helped me make these delicious treats