Salted Caramel chocolate cupcakes
A good brew is one of my favourite things when it’s cold outside and what goes with a good brew...a tasty treat! That’s where the idea for this recipe started.
My fiancé doesn't drink tea and coffee so I invested in some top quality hot chocolates from Whittard’s so when I wanted a hot drink there was something she could enjoy too. The flavours in the salted caramel got me thinking, I wonder what a chocolate muffin would taste like using this as a frosting.
I used to do quite a bit of baking but I just don't seem to have the time nowadays, but with the recent weather we’ve had I decided to use some of my snow days more constructively than just watching tv and from this the salted caramel cupcake was born!
A moist chocolate muffin base topped with salted caramel butter icing gives the cupcakes amazing flavours and textures.
My fiancé doesn't drink tea and coffee so I invested in some top quality hot chocolates from Whittard’s so when I wanted a hot drink there was something she could enjoy too. The flavours in the salted caramel got me thinking, I wonder what a chocolate muffin would taste like using this as a frosting.
I used to do quite a bit of baking but I just don't seem to have the time nowadays, but with the recent weather we’ve had I decided to use some of my snow days more constructively than just watching tv and from this the salted caramel cupcake was born!
A moist chocolate muffin base topped with salted caramel butter icing gives the cupcakes amazing flavours and textures.
Ingredients needed for Salted Caramel Chocolate cupcakes
The list below is what's needed to make this, if you are missing anything click on the images to go to the retailers site to purchase, this mixture makes enough mix for 18-20 buns so you will need enough bun cases and tins to take the mixture.
4 Eggs
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Caster sugar
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self raising flour
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Baking powder
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Butter
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Salted caramel hot chocolate
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Luxury hot chocolate
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salted caramel fudge pieces
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Equipment needed
The Equipment below is what's needed to make this recipe. If you are missing anything or need to replace an old/broken piece of equipment then click on the images to see a selection of great equipment for sale.
A good sharp Kitchen Knife
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A good mixer
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Sieves
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Kitchen Scales
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Silicone Tools
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Measuring set
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Muffin trays
How to make
What I like to do when baking or cooking is to measure out all the ingredients before I start, it makes it easier to add the ingredients as you go and keeps your work tops clutter free with more space to work.
When baking it’s also best to get your eggs out a while before you plan to bake, maybe 30-40 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
Put the oven on at 190 degrees (fan) 200 non fan, whilst it comes up to temperature weigh out the following ingredients and add to the food mixer:
When baking it’s also best to get your eggs out a while before you plan to bake, maybe 30-40 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
Put the oven on at 190 degrees (fan) 200 non fan, whilst it comes up to temperature weigh out the following ingredients and add to the food mixer:
3 Oz Whittard delux hot chocolate
6 Oz Caster sugar
6 Oz Self raising flour
6 Oz Soft baking margarine
1 Teaspoon of Baking powder
Add 4 eggs and roughly mix together with a spoon, if you have an open mixer this stops the dry ingredients flying all over as they did for me!! If your food processor has a lid ignore this and mix away!
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After a few minutes scrape off any mixture stuck to the side of the bowl, this stops any lumps in your mixture. Carry on mixing until you have a smooth non lumpy mix.
Place the bun cases in to the muffin trays and using a large spoon place a spoonful of mixture into each bun case, don’t overfill as they will spill over but don’t underfill or or you will get flat buns!
Place the muffin trays into the preheated oven, the cupcakes should take 15-17 minutes but check after 15 minutes and if still soft when pressed give them a few more minutes. You can tell when they are done as the top should spring straight back when pressed with your fingers.
Icing the Cupcakes.
The important things before trying to ice the cupcakes is to let them cool down. If you try to ice them whilst still warm the buttercream wont stay set and will go runny. I put my buns on the cooling rack and tidied the kitchen and washed up whilst they cooled, then made the icing, multi tasking!
Ingredients needed for the icing
In your clean washed up mixing bowl add 200g of softened butter, if you try to make icing with hard butter you will end up with lumps, sift in 100g of icing sugar and slowly start to mix
In a small mug add 4 tablespoons of milk and heat until hot (not boiling) stir in 100g of the salted caramel hot chocolate to form a paste. The reason I do this is because the chocolate has sugar in it and it will end up grainy if you add it straight to the bowl as you can see in the picture below. Once the paste is ready add into the mixer and carry on mixing until smooth. Once again stop periodically to scrape unmixed mixture back onto the mixer bowl
In a small mug add 4 tablespoons of milk and heat until hot (not boiling) stir in 100g of the salted caramel hot chocolate to form a paste. The reason I do this is because the chocolate has sugar in it and it will end up grainy if you add it straight to the bowl as you can see in the picture below. Once the paste is ready add into the mixer and carry on mixing until smooth. Once again stop periodically to scrape unmixed mixture back onto the mixer bowl
Once the cupcakes are cool, and your icing is soft and creamy you're ready to start icing. Place the first cupcake onto a flat surface. Take your piping bag and fill it with the icing mixture, allow enough space at the top of the bag to twist it shut
Icing them is purely up to you, let your creativeness free, I like to start round the edges and work into the middle, i'm a novice at icing so no fancy rose shapes from me!
Finish of with a few pieces of the salted caramel fudge and then sit back and enjoy one with a hot brew! be really indulgent and enjoy one with a luxury hot chocolate!
