Salted Caramel Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE-BOURBON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line thirty-two to thirty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the water and bourbon. Set aside.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl microwave unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave, uncovered, for 30 seconds more; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and bourbon mixture to chocolate mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
• Bake about 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean (tops of cupcakes may sink slightly). Cool the cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Place Fudge Frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe a border around edges of cupcakes. Spoon about 1 teaspoon Salted Caramel into center of each cupcake. Sprinkle caramel lightly with sea salt. Makes 32 to 34 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes. Fudge Frosting
• In a large saucepan cook and stir chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Salted Caramel
• In a small saucepan combine whipping cream and bourbon. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Stir in caramels and sea salt. Heat until melted, stirring constantly.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
• Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. In a small pot over low heat warm up 1 cup water, the butter and espresso. Do not boil! Just melt the butter. Set aside to cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, eggs and coffee mixture in a second bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until smooth.
• Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they are done. Allow to cool.
• For the ganache: In a small pot over low heat, mix the chocolate and cream until combined and smooth. Take off the heat. Add the coffee liqueur if using and mix.
• To assemble: Using a apple corer or a small spoon, scoop a small well halfway through in the center of the cupcakes. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the ganache into the well, as well as brush some over the top of the cupcakes. Fill a pastry bag with piping tip of your choice with Salted Caramel Buttercream. Pipe the buttercream directly on top of the cupcakes. Garnish as you please.
• Slowly heat the cream in a small pot over low heat.
• While heating up the cream, in another pot over medium heat, add one third of the sugar and the salt and mix with a wooden spoon until liquid. Continue to add the remainder of the sugar in one-third increments. Once all the sugar is dissolved, continue to mix the caramel until it reaches a slightly darker brown color.
• Turn off the heat and add the hot cream very slowly in increments while stirring. Be very careful to not burn yourself! Caramel is ready once the cream and caramel are smooth. Transfer to a bowl for cooling. Allow 1 hour to cool at room temperature.
• Add the cooled caramel mixture to a mixing bowl and with a paddle attachment on medium speed, add the butter in increments. Once the buttercream is smooth it is ready to be used.

SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole cake tin with paper cases.
• Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Briefly mix in the flour until just combined, and stir in the milk until the batter just falls off the beaters.
• Divide the mixture between the cases, leaving about 2 tbsp batter in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce if it's not salted caramel, then add ½ tsp to the tops of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to cover the caramel sauce with the remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 mins until springy and golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar together, then tip in the remaining icing sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and fluffy. Stir in half of the caramel sauce, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a round or star nozzle.
• Pipe swirls of icing on top of the cooled cupcakes. Stir the remaining caramel sauce with a pinch of salt, if unsalted, then use to drizzle over the icing. Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt over each, if you like.