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Hazelnut Praliné Cupcakes

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  • Author: Bake to the roots
  • Prep Time: 75
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 105
  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Hazelnut Praline

  • 1 1/4 cup (200g) blanched hazelnuts
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (70g) brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (70g) light muscovado sugar
  • 1.7 oz. (50g) hazenut praliné, powdered
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup (100g) butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (100ml) buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. instant coffee powder

For the Hazelnut Praliné Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  • 2/3 cup (150g) butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
  • 8 tbsp. hazelnut praliné, powdered

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • 5.3 oz. (150g) heavy cream
  • 10.6 oz. (300g) dark chocolate couverture, chopped

Instructions

  1. Start with the hazelnut praliné. Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and place the hazelnuts on top. Roast for about 5 minutes. Note: If you are not using blanched hazelnuts, wrap the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel after roasting and let them steam for about 10 minutes. Rubb the hazelnuts in the towel to remove the skins – you might have to do this several times to get clean hazelnuts.
  2. Add sugar in a saucepan. Stir gently on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until it melts and turns golden brown. Add the hazelnuts and stir until they are completely covered. When the caramel turns a deep amber colour, pour the praline into the prepared baking tray. Be careful not to burn the caramel. Let it cool completely, then cut or break into pieces. Process 5.3 oz. (150g) of the praline to a fine powder in a food processor – this will be used in the batter and frosting. Larger pieces can be used to decorate the cupcakes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl mix flour, sugars, hazelnut praliné, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter in small pieces and mix on low speed until you get small crumbles. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract and instant coffee powder and mix on high speed for 3-4 minutes. The result will be a thick batter. Fill the paper liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. For the chocolate ganache chop the chocolate couverture. Heat the heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and all well combined. Let cool until it has thickened enough to spread it on top of the cupcakes.
  5. For the buttercreme add egg whites and sugar to a heatproof bowl and place on a pot with simmering water (not boiling). Whisk constantly until temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) – if you don’t have a thermometer, whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor or mix with a hand mixer until the meringue is thick and glossy. The bowl should not feel warm anymore – this can take up to 10 minutes. Add the butter in small pieces one after another and mix until incorporated. Keep mixing until the texture of the buttercream is smooth and silky. Add vanilla extract, instant coffee powder and powdered hazelnut praliné and keep mixing on low speed until all is well combined.
  6. Place a small portion of the chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake and spread it over the surface so most of the cupcake is covered. Fill the buttercream into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a swirl on each cupcake. Decorate with pieces of the hazelnut praliné.

Notes

  • Enjoy baking!