Trisha Yearwood Caramel Icing Recipes

LIZZIE'S OLD FASHIONED COCOA CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
• For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
• For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
• Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

HUNDRED DOLLAR CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cups of two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, about 1 1/2 minutes (or melt it in a double boiler).
• Put the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, and beat on low until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, about 1/4 cup batter in each. Bake until the cupcakes are domed slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
• For the icing: Make the icing right before you are ready to frost the cupcakes. Combine the granulated sugar, buttermilk, butter, baking soda and vanilla in a medium to large heavy-bottomed saucepan (the liquid will double in volume). Insert a candy thermometer, bring to a boil and boil over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches soft-ball stage (235 degrees F), 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat as it hits the soft-ball stage to avoid over caramelizing.
• Working very quickly but carefully, pour the caramel into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until cooled to warm, about 5 minutes. Working quickly, spoon about a tablespoon of the caramel icing onto each cupcake. (Caramel hardens a little as it cools; whip in a splash of heavy cream to loosen it up if needed.) Let stand until set, about 5 minutes. Decorate with edible silver dragees.