Rocky road cupcakes

When I saw these cupcakes on DH magazine, I though they were chocolate cupcakes. But I was wrong – they were rocky road cupcakes! With marshmallow and Nutella... Yum. :D

It was like the first time I heard “Crazy” on the radio – I could’ve sworn it was Moby...

Rocky road cupcakes
from Donna Hay magazine

250g unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (274g) caster sugar
4 eggs
2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all purpose flour
¼ cup hazelnut meal*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (240ml) milk
200g dark chocolate, melted – I used 70% cocoa solids
12 large marshmallows
½ cup store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)

Whipped chocolate cream:
2 cups (500ml) whipping cream
3 tablespoons icing sugar
½ cup (45g) cocoa powder + extra for dusting

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour, hazelnut meal and baking powder and beat until combined. Fold through the milk and chocolate and spoon the mixture into two 6-hole 1-cup capacity muffin pans lined with paper cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when a tested with a skewer. Allow to cool slightly. While still warm, make a hole in the center of each cupcake using a serrated paring knife. Remove the cake center and set aside. Fill each hole with 1 marshmallow and 1 teaspoon chocolate hazelnut spread. Press the centers back into the holes.

To make the whipped chocolate cream, place the cream, sugar and cocoa in a non-metallic bowl and whisk until soft peaks form (I did not understand this “non-metallic” issue; used a stainless steel bowl and it worked fine). Spread the whipped chocolate cream over the cupcakes with a palette knife. Dust with a bit of cocoa powder and serve.

* I used almond meal (ground almonds)

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe above and got 12 cupcakes, using 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity pans; because my pans were smaller I added 1/3 of one marshmallow + ½ teaspoon Nutella to each cupcake