Mackin’ on Cupcakes

by Katya Simkhovich

There was an exchange.

There were cupcakes present.

 

There was an exchange of cupcakes.

An exchange of many, many cupcakes.

There were coconut almond cupcakes.

There were red velvet cupcakes.

There were key lime cupcakes.

There were salted caramel cupcakes made by yours truly. (Recipe at end of post)

There were chocolate chip cupcakes frosted with chocolate ganache.

There were german chocolate cake cupcakes.

There was tres leches.  Not a cupcake, but delicious and sweet nevertheless.

And then there were molten chocolate lava cake cupcakes.

There were a lot of cupcakes.

A lot of cupcake remains.

And a lot of sugar high teenage girls.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake recipe from here.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, at room temperature

Preparation

  1. Place an oven rack to the center position and preheat the it to 350 degrees. Line 18 cups of 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a large measuring cup, whisk together, the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk and set aside.
  3. Cream the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and creamy.  Add the sugar and cream until incorporated and smooth.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, alternating after adding a little bit of each – end with an addition of the dry ingredients.
  5. Portion the batter into the muffin tins so each is about half filled.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and remove from oven.  Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin.

Salted Caramel recipe adapted from here. Note: You will likely have some over, but that’s nothing to complain about ;)  This caramel would be great drizzled atop some ice cream or any dessert of your choice or swirled into your favorite brownie recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, stir 2 1/4 cups of the sugar with the corn syrup, milk, and sea salt. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm.
  2. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan. Cook the sugar over moderate heat, swirling occasionally, until an amber caramel forms. Carefully pour the warm milk mixture over the caramel. It will bubble something fierce. Keep stirring–this is normal. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring until the caramel dissolves.
  3. Stop sitrring and cook until the caramel registers 235 F on a candy thermometer–this will take 5-8 minutes. Be patient. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Strain the caramel into the bowl of a standing mixer. Let cool for half an hour.

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream

Ingredients

  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 3/4 cup sifted sugar
  • 1 cup cool salted caramel

Preparation

  1. Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and creamy.
  2. Add the sifted sugar and mix on medium until light and smooth.
  3. Add the caramel in 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between.

Cupcake Assembly

  1. Cut a 1 inch diameter hole out of the center of the cupcakes, trying your best to preserve the tops of the cut out pieces (to use later to cover the caramel that you pour inside to provide a stable base for the frosting).
  2. Pour about one tablespoon of salted caramel into the hole and cover with the tops of the cut out pieces.
  3. Frost your cupcakes with the salted caramel buttercream however your heart desires and sprinkle with a few grains of sea salt.
  4. Eat.
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