Magnolia Cupcakes with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates

Sex and The City fan? Yes? Then you will love these cupcakes. No? You will still love these cupcakes.

I use the Traditional Vanilla Birthday Cake and Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake recipes from The Magnolia Bakery Cook Book to make these lovely cupcakes and top them with Ferrero Rochers and Ferrero Gardens.

Magnolia Cupcakes with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates Recipe

(Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cook Book)

• Makes 48 cupcakes (24 Vanilla Cupcakes and 24 Chocolate Cupcakes)
• Makes 24 Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Ferrero Rochers

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 24 x Ferrero Rochers
• Silver cachous

Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. To make the vanilla cupcakes: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a rack before icing. Top each cupcake with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate ball and sprinkle some silver cachous around it.
4. To make the vanilla buttercream frosting: Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar).

Makes 24 Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Ferrero Gardens

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (To melt chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 x Ferrero Gardens

Chocolate buttercream frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp milk
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. To make the chocolate buttermilk cupcakes: In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, beating after each addition until smooth. Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on rack.
4. when cupcakes have cooled, ice them with chocolate buttercream frosting. Zig-zag the vanilla buttercream frosting over the cupcakes, then finish with placing a Ferrero Garden chocolate balls on each cupcake.
5. To make chocolate buttercream frosting: In a medium-size bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy and of desired consistency.