Any celebration is incomplete without a piece of cake. You have to agree with me that it gets all the more charming when it is baked at home from scratch and decorated to suit ones taste, moods or the occasion on hand.

When we were engaged and were in a long distance relationship, Ro often got me gifts of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. My man has a thing for Nutella too and that’s why I decided to use Ferrero Rocher chocolates and nutella in a frosting to ice my chocolate cream cupcakes to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the first week of May. A google search revealed that cakes with nutella icing are quite popular indeed.

The anniversary edition packaging of a box of these chocolates says: “At the heart of each Rocher is a whole roasted hazelnut surrounded by a smooth filling all wrapped in a light crispy wafer covered in milk chocolate and chopped hazelnut.” Chocolate, hazelnut and nutella! A perfect combination of delight in every bite. And also great as a topping for the icing of my cakes! Looks dressy and sophisticated and all you need to do is open a box and plonk one of these on the cakes.

I decided to use low fat cream instead of milk and made a few other tiny changes to my eggless chocolate cake recipe. The result was a super fluffy, tender, moist and delicious cake. I made a promise to myself to use the base chocolate cake recipe with myriad other embellishments, making a few souls around me happy in the bargain. The happiness in the eyes of someone who bites into a good piece of cake can be the subject of an entire post. But let me spare you the details. My mind is already brimming with exciting icing ideas and other ways to decorate this cake.

The icing may taste a bit too sweet for people who prefer lesser amounts of sugar. We like our cakes not overtly sweet and found the icing overpowering the delicate chocolate cakes. But its a different story when you serve it to children. When I gave it to Nandini, our friends daughter who visited us the next day, she relished every bite. And so did Abha and Esha, the daughters of another friend. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And in the pictures below!

Eggless Chocolate Cream Cupcakes with Ferrero Rocher Nutella Icing Recipe

These cupcakes are so delicious even without the icing!

Makes 12 cupcakes or one 9” round cake

For the Eggless Chocolate cream cupcakes

Ingredients:

200 gm (1 1/2 cup) plain flour*
50 gm (1/3 cup) good quality cocoa powder*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
400 gm (1 tin) sweetened condensed milk
100 gm (1/2 cup) butter, melted
200 ml cream (7 fl oz/ 3/4 cup)

3 tbsp sugar * (optional)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Ferrero Rocher Chocolates for decoration

Method:

Line a cupcake or muffin tin with the liners or grease and line the bottom of a 9” round cake tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Preheat the oven at 160C/ 325F/ Gas Mark 3.

In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, mix well with a spoon and sieve once to make the mixture uniform or use the stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this purpose.

In another bowl, assemble all the liquid ingredients, the melted butter, condensed mlk and cream and beat until well mixed using a hand mixer on medium low speed or using the paddle attachment of the stand mixer. Add the sugar if using and mix again. Put in half the flour mixture and beat until mixed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners or the 9” round tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes if making cupcakes or 1 hour if making the cake in the 9” round tin.

 

* If you prefer your cakes sweet and if you are making it without the icing then I suggest that you make this cake with the additional sugar.

For the Ferrero Rocher Nutella icing*

Ingredients:

60 gm (6 tbsp) unsalted butter at room temperature
170 gm (1/2 cup) nutella
480 gm (4 1/2 cup) icing or confectioners sugar
2 to 4 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, put in the butter, vanilla and nutella and beat well with a hand mixer. Stir in the icing sugar and beat using as much milk to get a smooth icing.

Finish the cakes

After the cakes completely cool down, spread the icing on the cake with the help of a piping bag and the desired nozzle.  Place a Ferrero Rocher chocolate on each iced cake.

* It is always better to measure flour in a weighing scale for accuracy in baking.

*Nutella icing recipe adapted from here.