Our old time favorite chocolate in cupcake form! Chocolate hazelnut cupcake, cored out and filled with chocolate hazelnut and a toasted hazelnut each, topped with a light hazelnut buttercream, dipped with chocolate ganache shell and extra chopped hazelnuts.
I like making sure that the hazelnut frosting is super light, not too sweet, and served mildly chilled, to balance out the heavier chocolate hazelnut flavor from the ganache and cake. Hence I picked a hazelnut swiss meringue buttercream whipped with extra stabilized egg whites. Another trick is to make sure that the chocolate cake texture is very light and fluffy. For this recipe, achieve it by using room temperature butter, room temperature eggs, and cream it very very well. Make sure the butter and sugar has gone to pale yellow before adding in the other ingredients!
Use fresh toasted hazelnuts for the hazelnut butter and topping for maximum flavor as well. Last thing we want is the raw taste that would make the cake even heavier. It’s always quite challenging to make cakes with such heavy flavors remain light and not overly sweet such that people stop after a few bites. Creating maximum hazelnut flavor for the buttercream without adding more nuts/chocolate provides something interesting that makes that component even more addictive for your guests!
| Hazelnut Butter from The Kitchn
2 cups shelled, skinless, unroasted hazelnuts Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes adapted from Cupcake Jemma 115 g self-raising flour Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting from Cupcake Jemma 150g butter Classic Chocolate Ganache 120 ml double cream |
To make hazelnut butter
Roast the nuts: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the nuts on the sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Stir the nuts and toast for another 2 to 3 minutes until slightly brown and fragrant. Grind the nuts: Pour the warm, roasted nuts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and add the salt. Process 1 to 3 minutes or until crumbs form. Wait 10 minutes for the machine and the ground nuts to completely cool down. Process again for another 5 to 10 minutes. First the mixture will seize a bit and clump, and then go from sandy, to clumping into a soft ball, to a final stage of smooth and creamy on the top with a gritty bottom. Stop the machine again and add the remaining oil: Turn the machine off and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, stir the mixture, scraping the side and the bottom of the bowl, carefully moving the blade as necessary to get all the ground nuts. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil or shortening. Process until smooth, about 2 more minutes. Adjust seasoning: Taste and add more honey or salt and blend until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir well. Let the nut butter come to room temperature. If you are not using it immediately, scoop it into a container with an airtight lid. To make Hazelnut Cupcakes Place softened butter into mixer. Sift in self raising floud, cocoa powder, bicarbonate sode, caster sugar and soft brown sugar. Add in hazelnut butter and 2 large free range eggs. Pour 1.5 tablespoons of whole milk Fill cupcake tins to 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 170 degrees C for 20 minutes until springy on top To make Hazelnut Buttercream Start with 150 g butter and beat well with hazelnut butter. Add icing sugar (sifted) and beat well. Add 3-4 tablespoons of whole milk. Mix for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Make chocolate ganache separately To make Chocolate ganache Place almost-boiling double cream over dark chocolate until melted. Cool down and set aside. To assemble Core and fill cupcakes with chocolate ganache. Add 1 toasted hazelnut to the middle of each Ferrero Rocher cupcake. Frost with a dollop of hazelnut buttercream (use a round tip). Dip in chocolate ganache and again in toasted hazelnuts |
My Dose of Sugar 