Chocolate Cakes with Hazelnut Buttercream

To prepare the cake batter:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter, cocoa and sugar for approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat until smooth and creamy. Add sour cream and mix until smooth.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Slowly add boiling water and beat until smooth. Add vanilla.

Divide batter into baking cups. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 20-22 minutes. If you are using muffin size cups, bake for 18-20 minutes and you will yield approximately 24 cup cakes. Allow to cool completely.

When the cakes have cooled, brush tops of each cake with the Torani hazelnut flavored syrup, using about 1 tablespoon per cake.

For the hazelnut buttercream:

Using an electric mixer, beat yolks in a bowl until pale yellow and a slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until a candy thermometer set in syrup registers 234 – 240ºF (soft-ball stage).

Beat to syrup into egg yolks in a slow steady stream. Continue beating until thick and cool, about 10 minutes. Gradually beat butter into yolk mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add hazelnut paste and beat until completely blended. Pipe or spread butter cream on top of each cake.

Sprinkle chopped candy on top of buttercream (optional).