Caramel Cupcakes

Be sure to enjoy these cupcakes with a big glass of milk because they are incredibly decadent.

I've always loved the flavor of chewy caramel. I remember going to my local Ingles as a child and paying a nickle for a sample of a individually wrapped caramel candy. I would never chew it; I would let it melt, so I could enjoy the flavor as my mom shopped for groceries. Caramel is a candy I associate wholly with pleasant memories, so it was with great pleasure and excitement that I set out to make these caramel cupcakes.

When I began looking around for recipes, I discovered that most people make a chocolate cake with caramel frosting. I was seeking a powerful caramel flavor and wanted to ensure that the entire bite embodied the essence of a caramel with all the spongy goodness of a cupcake. I finally found a recipe that met my criteria at Our Best Bites. I only used the cake recipe from this site as the icing recipe left me a bit unsettled. I am a firm believer that icing should be composed of sugars and fats, never flour.

For the icing, I went with my standard American butter cream. This has been my mother's go to recipe for years, and, being the dutiful daughter, I have naturally embraced it in my cooking. To capture the luscious caramel flavor I love so much, I folded in a batch of homemade caramel. Making the caramel was by far the most fascinating kitchen adventure I have had since the birth of this blog. It was fairly simple, only requiring a minimum of utensils and patience- two key components in anything I bake.

Caramel Cupcakes
Makes about 15 cupcakes

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs at room temprature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and prepare your cupcake pan. 

Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of your mixer. Cream together on medium speed. Add your vanilla, milk, baking powder, salt, and eggs. Mix again until all ingredients are incorporated. The mixture will appear soupy. This is okay because you are going to be adding your flour next.

Add the flour in three parts, mixing between each part. This will ensure that the flour does not dust your kitchen. After adding the flour, continue mixing until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for about twenty minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. 
 

Caramel Butter Cream Frosting  

To make the frosting, you will need to prepare the caramel in advance. I made mine while the cupcakes were baking. It does not take a great deal of time, but you want to allow time for the caramel to cool before you add it to your frosting.

For the caramel
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Before you begin, have a medium sized, heatproof bowl waiting to receive the caramel. 

In a medium sized, high sided sauce pan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat. You need to watch the sugar carefully to ensure that you begin to stir at the right time. After about five minutes, you will start to notice that the sugar is melting around the edges of the pan, turning dark amber. When you notice the amber colored liquid, begin stirring the sugar with a clean wooden spoon. Continue stirring until all sugar is melted, turning a golden amber. This should take about three minutes. 

This next step can be a bit tricky. I wore an oven glove to protect my stirring pan from hot spatter. I would advise that you do this when the kids are not in the kitchen.

Carefully and slowly pour the cream down the side of the pan, stirring constantly. It will bubble and spatter. Continue stirring until the cream is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt. You may notice some lumps of sugar in your mixture. On occasional lump is okay, but the mixture should not be visibly chunky. At this point the mixture should look and smell like hot caramel. 


Pour the mixture in the heatproof bowl and allow to cool before using.

For the frosting
2 sticks butter (1 c), at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 lbs. confectioner's sugar
3 tbs. milk
1 recipe caramel, at room temperature

In the bowl of your mixer, gradually combine the butter with the sugar. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Add the milk and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed, until the mixture is smooth. If it's not as smooth as you would like, do not worry.

Add the caramel in portions, mixing on medium speed. Sample the frosting frequently to determine if more caramel is desired. This frosting can be incredibly rich if all of the caramel is incorporated into the mixture. I used all of my caramel in my frosting, and the cupcakes were amazing. Keep in mind that I absolutely love sweet, rich, caramel.

The amount of caramel you choose to incorporate into your icing will affect the consistency and taste. More caramel will result in a thinner, richer icing, while less will result in a thicker, milder icing. If you are planning on using decorator tips to ice your cupcakes, go with less caramel for a thicker consistency.

If you want to take it to the next level, reserve some of the caramel and drizzle it over the iced cupcakes. This not only looks impressive, but it makes the cupcakes absolutely over the top. I will definately do this next time.