Chocolate and caramel together is one of the most heavenly combinations to have ever been created and this recipe celebrates both these ingredients, bringing them together in a perfect harmonious blend.
The salty undertones of the caramel offset its sweetness as well as the richness of the chocolate, which would otherwise be too overpowering. These rich and decadent cupcakes are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!
The cupcakes are almost bitter in taste to counter the sweetness of the caramel frosting.
It is important that you use icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar) for your icing as it contains anti-caking agents to prevent it from clumping.
Ingredients for cupcakes:
130g all purpose flour
40g cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
113g unsalted butter, melted
100g caster sugar
100g dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
180ml buttermilk
Ingredients for frosting:
37.5g softened unsalted butter
37.5g icing sugar
37.5g caramel sauce
Method to prepare cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 180C and line your cupcake tins with paper cases and set aside.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat together both the sugars and the melted butter until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure that the batter is well combined and homogenous. If the mixture curdles, add one tablespoon of the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add 1/3rd of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold gently using a spatula to combine.
Next, add half of the buttermilk and mix until combined. Continue this method until the flour and buttermilk are fully combined. Make sure you don’t overmix in this stage or else your cupcakes will be dense and tough.
Fill the cupcake cases until about half full and bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
Method to prepare the frosting:
Whip the butter by hand or using an electric mixer until light.
Sift in the icing sugar and combine using a spatula(this helps to combine the icing sugar, preventing it from flying and creating a mess) It is important to sift the icing sugar so that you get a smooth buttercream.
Whip the butter and icing sugar together for about 5 minutes until they are completely combined and have doubled in volume.
Add the caramel and mix until well combined.
I usually add ¼ tsp salt to this however, you can add more according to your taste.
Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
These cupcakes stay fresh for 5 days.
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