Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Unlike Celeste, I am not experienced with baking gorgeous cupcakes. So, in preparation for the wedding I've been experimenting. I found this recipe, but failed at making it the first two times. I was determined and found some tips for baking in high elevation (even though I don't think I've ever really been impacted by it before). The final result was perfection. This recipe is fairly easy to make and feels so gourmet. Hopefully Celeste will frost all my cupcakes if I make the frosting and bag it for her before...please please please!

By the way, when making homemade cupcakes, do not overfill the liners. Just fill a little over halfway. Or just halfway. They overflow very easily!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
recipe by ourbestbites.com

HE will stand for High Elevation. You Washington/Oregon people don't need to worry your little heads about this!

CUPCAKES:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder (HE 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar (HE minus 1 TBSP)
(dark brown sugar is REALLY important!)
1/2 c. sugar (HE minus 1/2 TBSP)
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk (plus 1 TBSP)

Preheat oven to 350 (HE 375 degrees). Using 18 cupcake liners, line muffin tins. I used paper liners, but I think foil would be a better choice.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl (preferably the bowl of an electric mixer), combine sugars and butter together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 1 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

TO GO ON TOP:
Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting
About 1/2 c. caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup
12 Werther's soft caramels
Dipping chocolate (just a wee bit), made with bittersweet or dark chocolate; I used 4 oz. of chocolate with 1 tsp. canola oil and had plenty leftover
Kosher or sea salt

Prepare dipping chocolate. Dip the ugly side of the caramel into the chocolate, about halfway down the caramel. Place chocolate-side-up on a plate and then allow to harden.


Prepare Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting. This is a really fun way to make frosting. It does turn out fluffy. I've loved making it!

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens!

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy. Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :)

One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes with BIG tops. If you're just spreading a little on top, it will do 24.

After trouble-shooting with a lot of people, here are some helpful Notes:

1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.

2. If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can. It should come together, but it takes a little patience!

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.


Very gently mix the caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup into the frosting--you want there to be swirls of caramel visible. Add a little more if you want--this is an art, not science here!

After you've frosted the cupcakes (dollops work fine on these), top each cupcake with a chocolate-dipped caramel and then sprinkle with a VERY scant sprinkling of Kosher or sea salt--it's just a little garnish and a really enhances the flavors of the cupcake.