Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes Recipe

We all remember those naff Ferrero Rocher adverts from the ’80s and ’90s, but these cupcakes are anything but naff. Light chocolatey hazelnut sponge, filled with whipped hazelnut cream, topped with hazelnut buttercream, then dunked in chocolate and rolled in nuts. Perfect for the ambassador’s reception, and anyone else who wants one!

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients

Hazelnut buttercream

• 285g unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄4 tsp sea salt
• 450g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tbsp Hazelnut Butter
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp milk

Hazelnut sponge

• 115g self-raising flour
• 10g cocoa powder
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 115g caster sugar
• 10g soft light brown sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp milk
• 25g Hazelnut Butter

Filling

• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp Hazelnut Butter

To Finish

• 200g dark chocolate (50% cocoa solids), melted
• ½ tsp cocoa butter, melted
• 100g hazelnut nibs or chopped roasted hazelnuts
• Prepare the Hazelnut Buttercream. Cover and set aside.

Method

For the Hazelnut Sponge

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan) and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt, bicarb and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and eggs, and beat on a medium–high speed for 30 seconds until well combined. Add the milk and hazelnut butter and beat for 30 seconds, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom halfway through, until you have a smooth batter.
4. Distribute the batter evenly among the paper cases until they are three-quarters full.
5. Bake for 18–20 minutes until the tops spring back when gently pressed. Leave to cool.

For the Filling

1. In a bowl, whip the cream, sugar and hazelnut butter with a balloon whisk until medium-soft peaks are forming, then put the mixture into a piping bag.

To finish

1. Using an apple corer, remove the centre of each cupcake, then fill the holes with the cream filling. Take care not to overfill.
2. Put your buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and squeeze a neat blob of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
3. Put the iced cupcakes in the fridge for 15 minutes while you melt the chocolate for the topping in a bain-marie or in the microwave in short bursts. Add the melted cocoa butter and stir to combine, then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Dip the chilled iced cupcake tops into the chocolate, allowing the excess to dribble back into the bowl. Sprinkle with hazelnuts to finish.