Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!! Caramel Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate & Brown Sugar Frosting


HAPPY EASTER!
Today is a nice relaxing day for me, consisting of basking in the AZ rays by the pool, sipping an AZ cocktail (Vodka-kissed Pineapple & Prickly Pear juice), jamming to La Roux, and preparing for an afternoon BBQ. Can everyday be like this please?

At any rate, I made festive Easter cupcakes on Friday and brought them in for work: Caramel cupcakes made with caramel sauce, frosted with Whipped Chocolate & Brown Sugar Frosting, then topped with Coconut and Cadbury Easter eggs. I made the cupcake recipe using my Primrose Bakery Cupcake Recipe Book, and the frosting from All Recipes found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Light-and-Creamy-Brown-Sugar-and-Chocolate-Frosting/Detail.aspx


Caramel Cupcakes
(Makes 16 Cupcakes)

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room remperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teasepoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 Tabelspoons self-rising flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teasepoon baking soda
1/4 teasepoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Caramel Sauce (recipe below)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Make Caramel Sauce (see below) so it can cool slightly before preparing the batter.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until pale and smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing for a few minuters after each addition.
5. Add vanilla extract to batter and blend.
6. Sift or whisk the flours together in a separate bowl.
7. Add one-thrid of the flour to the creamed butter/sugar mixture and mix until the batter just comes together. Now add the caramel sauce and beat well. Add another one-third of flour to mixture and mix until batter just comes together. Now add heavy cream and beat again antil just blended. Add the final third of the flour until mixture in combined.
8. Scoop batter into cupcake liners using a spring-loaded icecream scoop.
9. Bake for 22-25 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown and until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for 10 minutes, then place on wire rack to finish cooling. Frost when completely cool.


Step #3: Creaming to buttrer and sugars.

Making the Caramel Sauce (recipe below) -- combining sugar and water in saucepan

Caramel Sauce: Bringing to a boil

Cook sugar and water until it has reached an amber color (does not have to be as dark as mine)

Step #7: Adding Caramel Sauce (slighty cooled) to the creamed mixture after adding the first 1/3 of flour.

Caramel Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup
1 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water

1. Place sugar and 1/3 cup of the water in a heavy saucepan amd stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increas the heat and cook over a high heat for about 8-10 minutes, after which the mixture should be dark amber in color. (See images below)
2. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. The mixture is extremely hot!!!! Stir mixture to help it cool, stirring away from your face...this can be down by stirring over the sink.
3. Once mixture it has cooled slightly, stir in the remaining 1/3 cup of water and continue stirring. Even slightly cool, sugar is still really hot!! Add water over sink and away from your face as it may spatter.
4. Once completely cool, it can be poured into the batter mixture before the last 1/3 of flour is added.


Light and Cream Brown Sugar & Chocolate Whipper Frosting
Note: This frosting is runny! Works great to cover top with coconut shaving.

1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup and 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

- Pour heavy cream into mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer. Mix in remaining ingredients and whip until stiff and spreadable. Use pastry bag to frost cupcakes.










HOPE YOU HAD A LOVELY EASTER!!






No comments:

Post a Comment