Ferrero Rocher Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream

Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread that Italians seem to love spreading on everything, is a food item that our family has deemed strictly off-limits. It’s not because we don’t love slathering a chunk of leftover crusty baguette with a spoonful of the stuff to go with our morning coffee; instead, it’s because we love it too much, and are simply not responsible enough to have it in the house. Like Cheez-It Crackers, marinated mozzarella, and peanut butter granola bars, we just can’t have a jar around without eating it in one sitting, and so we choose to skip it altogether.

But when it’s your birthday, you get to throw good sense and rationality out the window and eat your favorite things, no matter what they are. And that’s what today is: It’s Jillian’s birthday. I wanted to bake her something special, something that combined all of her favorite sweets into one over-the-top cupcake that would make her senses explode and her body start racing furiously to produce extra insulin. The Nutella buttercream was a no-brainer for Jillian’s ideal cupcake, but the real surprise here is inside, where an entire Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolate candy is baked right in. They’re weapons-grade bombs of sugar, fat, and butter, perfect for special occasions or to tell someone you love them. Happy birthday, Jillian.

P.S. Do not keep tasting the buttercream as you work, or by the time the cupcakes are ready, the sugar overload will have made your heart explode.

Ferrero Rocher Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream
Makes 12 cupcakes; Adapted from a recipe by Bakerita.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 12 Ferrero Rocher candies, unwrapped

For the Nutella buttercream:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
• Pinch of salt

Method:

For the cupcakes:

Preheat to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until incorporated, about two minutes more. Add the egg and vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, and mix it in by hand with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly into the paper cups. Press one Ferrero Rocher into the center of each cupcake. Try to cover the chocolates with batter by nestling it, but don’t worry if it’s not completely covered. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean. Don’t worry if you can see the candies after baking; we’ll be covering the tops with frosting.

Transfer the muffin pan to a cooling rack and allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the pan. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the Nutella buttercream:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed until butter is very pale & creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

Frost cupcakes generously and serve.