Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

Good afternoon everyone!

December is finally here and so all it comes with it: endless Christmas songs, trees, ornaments, gifts, food...HAPPINESS! It is the most special time of the year for many people, including me. In fact, it is my favourite time of the year! I am happy all day and I can't stop singing Christmas songs. What touches my heart is that it is a time of spirituality, family gatherings and appreciating life. However, let's not forget the rest of the year, let's be humble all year round :)

I thought the first post of December should be related to something that reminds us all of Christmas and winter: Ferrero Rocher! As a consequence, I want to share this FERRERO ROCHER CUPCAKES with you! FYI, I made this recipe when I first started blogging, back in January 2013, so it is not the most looking good cupcake, but I felt very proud to have baked my first ever cupcake back then. If you want to make this recipe for your Christmas table, please keep reading!

INGREDIENTS for 15 cupcakes

- 150g cane sugar

- 4 medium eggs

- Half a glass extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

- 16g baking powder

- 200g unbleached all-purpose flour

- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

- 15 hazelnuts (for the filling)

- Nutella (for the filling)

INGREDIENTS for the buttercream

- 250g unsalted butter, room temperature

- 250g icing sugar

- 1 tbsp hazelnut milk, warm - you can also use animal milk, or any nut milk, like almond milk

- 2 tbsp Nutella

DIRECTIONS for the cupcakes

- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

- Mix the eggs and sugar in a bowl until frothed. Add the evoo little by little while mixing it.

- Sift the flour, yeast and cocoa powder, and add to the batter. Mix until the batter has no lumps.

- Fill each cupcake cup 3/4's full, so the batter doesn’t rise too high and spill over the top.

- Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 180ºC. To know when the batter is baked, stick a toothpick in the middle, if it's dry then it is baked. If it is wet, then it needs some more minutes. Let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes, then moce them to a rack to cool.

- Once cooled, remove 1/3 of the center of the cupcake with the help of a knife, or an apple corer, then cut the excess of dough to make it flat, and keep 'the hat' aside.

- Fill the hole with abundant Nutella. Place a hazelnut in the center and cover it with 'the hat'.

DIRECTIONS for the buttercream

- Beat the butter, that is at room temperature, until it whitens and it is creamy.

- Add the warmed milk and half the icing sugar. Beat until they are mixed, then add the other half of icing sugar, and the Nutella. Continue beating at low speed. Once the icing sugar is well mix, beat at a high speed for 5 minutes.

- Using the tip 1M and a pipping bag, pump the buttercream until the cupcake is covered.

- Add a Ferrero Rocher on top, optional.

TIPS

- If you do not have icing sugar, you can grind cane sugar with a blender.

- If you do not like Nutella, you can use another brand that you like, or even better, you can make your own chocolate and hazelnut spread (click on the link).

I hope you have enjoyed this recipe and that you bake this Ferrero Rocher cupcakes, because it is honestly so tasty and a must for chocolate lovers!

Have a great weekend,

Lots of ove,

Miriam

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