Guest Recipe: Tom's Last Rolo Valentine's Cupcakes with Chocolate Caramel Frosting

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, a long-running ad campaign asked the Great British public “Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?” It was such a success that offering your last Rolo has become synonymous with the ultimate declarations of love – so much so that in 2018 it was voted the most romantic ad campaign of all time. 

So this Valentine’s Day, why not make up a batch of Tom’s My Last Rolo Cupcakes with Chocolate Caramel Frosting and show the person you love most just how much you love them…?

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
• Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Serves: 12

Category: Dessert,Cakes

Ingredients

Cake Mix
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 150ml milk
• 115ml natural yoghurt
• 3 eggs
• 185g caster sugar
• 185g plain flour
• 40g cornflour
• 50g Cocoa Powder
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 Rolo Chocolates

Frosting

• 397g can Caramel Condensed Milk
• 150g 70% dark chocolate
• Pinch fine sea salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 12 Rolo Chocolates
• 48 mini chocolate heart decorations

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160Cº/325Fº/Gas Mark 3. Pop 12 large paper baking cups onto a baking tray (the more rigid type – not the crinkly liners you would use in a muffin tray).
2. Pop the eggs, sunflower oil, milk, yoghurt and vanilla extract into a jug and whisk to combine. 
3. Sift the flour, cornflour, caster sugar, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb into a large bowl. Whisk in the liquid mix until well combined.
4. Pour a little of the cake batter into the bottom of each cupcake cup – about 1/3 up the sides. Put a single Rolo chocolate into the middle of each cupcake cup before covering with a little more batter. The cupcake cups should be half-two thirds full. Place in the preheated oven to bake for 20-25 mins. The cooked cakes should be well risen and spring back to touch. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack before icing.
5. To make the frosting, pop the caramel condensed milk into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, allow to cool slightly before whisking into the condensed milk with an electric hand whisk. Keep beating on high for 3-5 minutes until the frosting is rippling and beginning to hold its shape. Pop to one side and allow to cool for 10-15 mins on the kitchen side.
6. Pop two heaped teaspoons of the frosting on top of each cupcake and smooth out in swirls with a small palette knife. Top each cupcake with another Rolo chocolate and decorate with the mini chocolate stars.

Tom Frizell-Shackley is a food writer, recipe developer and freelance PR consultant, based in the North of England. He lives with his partner, son and three spaniels. Since 2019, he has published recipes and kitchen tips for his Kitchen Notes food blog – www.kitchennotes.co.uk