Salted Caramel Cupcakes

 

Another belated post! hehe~I had some leftover salted caramel from my salted caramel swiss roll bake so decided to use it in some cupcakes! I really like the recipe I have for plain cupcakes because it means I can add whatever flavour to it! I was trying to decorate them nicely... but failed -___-" ended up just spreading the icing and drizzling leftover salted caramel on top :)
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Recipe modified from Vanilla cupcakes

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup caramel chocolate chips

Salted buttercream frosting
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tbs salted caramel + extra

1. Preheat oven to 190oC and line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake cases.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale.
3. Beat in eggs one and a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift over flour and mix until almost combined. Stir in milk.
5. Fold in caramel chocolate chips and spoon into muffin holes. Bake for 15 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.Once cooked, removed from oven and allow to cool.

6. Meanwhile make frosting by placing all ingredients in small bowl. Beat using electric mixer until it all comes together to form frosting consistency. If you find it's too runny, add more icing sugar... if you find it too dry add more butter:)
7. Ice cooled cupcakes and drizzle with extra salted caramel.

The cupcakes were light and fluffy and the caramel chocolate chips really went well with the whole salted caramel theme :) Gave a few away to friends and they liked them too :D hmmm... I wonder what other flavours I can make ^^

Birthday Bake: Teddiron topped Raspberry and White choc cupcakes!

A little friend was turning 11 years old so wanted to bake something special for her birthday! I've known her since she was 4... and seen her grow up so much :) 

Everybody loves cupcakes! They are a nice sweet gift that look pretty ^^" So I tried to make some "pretty" looking cupcakes (although my icing/decorating skills still average....). But you can turn average looking cupcakes into cute cupcakes by simply adding a macaron (or teddiron to be exact) on top!! =D amazing what one macaron can do~~ hehe

Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting
Modified Vanilla cupcake recipe 

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup frozen/fresh raspberries

Raspberry buttercream frosting
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup frozen raspberries, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 190oC and line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake cases.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale.
3. Beat in eggs one and a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift over flour and mix until almost combined. Stir in milk.
5. Fold in white chocolate chips and raspberries. Spoon into muffin holes and bake for 15 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.Once cooked, removed from oven and allow to cool. 

Fresh from the oven~

6. Meanwhile make frosting by placing all ingredients in small bowl. Beat using electric mixer until it all comes together to form frosting consistency. (At first, it may seem very crumbly but be patient and keep beating! It'll come together~). If you find it's too runny, add more icing sugar... if you find it too dry add more butter or raspberries :)
7. Ice cooled cupcakes and top with white chocolate chips (optional).

I made the teddirons using Adriano Zumbo's salted caramel macaron mix. I placed a toothpick inside to help it stand on top of the cupcake. (They kind of look like macaron pops ^^) I also wrote on the other side of the macarons with white chocolate spelling out Freesia's name ^^

Teddiron pops!

 So happy birthday Freesia! Hope you have a wonderful day!!! :)

 

Work catering #30: Salted caramel & Nutella stuffed double chocolate chip cookies!!!!

That's a mouthful!!! hahah literally XD As soon as I was shown this recipe, I HAD TO MAKE THESE COOKIES!!! Just the thought of salted caramel oozing out of a chocolate cookie fresh from the oven .... :O :D haha!!

anyways all credits go to Top with Cinnamon! Great food blog :) She made GIANT cookies!! But i made smaller ones... probably couldn't fit as much nutella

Salted Caramel and Nutella stuffed Double Chocolate chip cookies
Recipe adapted from TopWithCinnamon

Ingredients

Cookies
110g butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups plain flour
100g dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup nutella

Salted caramel
66g caster sugar
3 tbs water
8g butter
3 tbs thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. To make the salted caramel, put sugar and water into medium saucepan. Stir together over medium-high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Tilt and swirl the pan while the mixture boils (do not mix with spoon!). Keep swirling until it has reached a yellowish-golden colour. Immediately take off heat!
2. Add butter (be careful as may splatter) and swirl it in.
3. Stir in cream, then vanilla and salt. Place in small bowl and set aside for later.
4. To make the cookies, preheat oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
5. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Take off heat and stir in brown sugar and eggs.
6. Add cocoa, salt and baking powder. Stir until combined.
7. Add in flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
8. Take a heaped teaspoon (or tablespoon =p depending on how big of a cookie you want) of dough and roll into a ball. Place on baking paper and press lightly with palm of your hand. Use your finger to make an little well in the centre of dough.
9. Fill hole with small blob of nutella and top with salted caramel. Top with a little bit more dough and seal the edges. 
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

yummy chocolatey cookies!

oozing salted caramel~

Just to balance out the super sweetness, made some no bake Lemon Slice :)

Lemon Slice
Recipe adapted from Diminishing Lucy

Ingredients

1/2 cup condensed milk 
100g butter
200g Marie biscuits
1 cup desiccated coconut
zest of 2 lemons

Lemon icing
1 cup icing sugar
20g butter, softened
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Grease and line 8 inch square cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place condensed milk and butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir for about 5 minutes or until butter has melted.
3. Process/crush biscuits until fine crumbs. Add to mixing bowl with coconut and lemon zest. Add hot butter mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Press mixture into prepared pan using back of metal spoon.Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours or until firm.
5. To make icing, place icing sugar, butter and lemon juice in bowl. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Spread over slice. (note: for a thicker layer of icing, double recipe).
6. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve

lemon slice squares~

topped with zesty lemon icing :)

Oh and in exciting news I was invited to join Everyrecipe ^___^ a compilation of Australian cooking sites and blogs :) It's pretty cool so I can get more readers to my blog =D so check it out for more baking inspiration!!!

Death by Salted Caramel!!!

As soon as I saw this cake recipe, I knew I HAD to bake it! Just had to find some time because it would take a little while. So when ANZAC day came around.. it was time to bake!!! =D =D

This was my first time making salted caramel - it's always been on my to do list but I had a fear of burning it >_< Surprisingly, this recipe was simple and straightforward so I didn't end up having burnt caramel ^^"

There were about 2 tablespoons of the salted caramel leftover so I thought to myself, 'I'll just finish it off with some icecream'... BAD IDEA! It was SICKENLY SWEET!!!! >_______<" but I finished it off, to my regret! Never doing that again!
So lesson learnt - Just take one piece of cake! It will be enough :)

Chocolate Salted Caramel Layer Cake

Recipe adaped from Baker's Corner 

Ingredients

1½ cups (225g) plain flour, sifted
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
1 ½ cups (180g) Cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (190mL) buttermilk or milk
¾ cup (190mL) warm water
¼ cup (60mL) vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence

Salted Caramel
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 tbsp glucose
½ cup (125mL) thickened cream
2 tsp salt
70g cold butter, chopped

Chocolate Ganache
100g dark chocolate melts
80ml thickened cream

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan forced. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarb soda and baking powder in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil and vanilla essence. Beat on low speed with electric mixer until well combined.
3. Divide batter between pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into middle comes out clean. Allow cake to cool (~20 mintues) before turning out onto wire rack.
4. For caramel, combine sugar, glucose and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, without stirring, for 15 minutes or until sugar is golden.
5. Remove from heat and carefully pour in cream, whisk until smooth. Return to heat and cook for further 2 minutes.
6. Pour caramel in medium bowl, whisk in salt, cool for 15 minutes. Slowly whisk in butter and cool completely.

Salted caramel!!!! =D

7. Make ganache by placing chocolate and cream in heat proof bowl over pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth and allow to cool.
8. To assemble, cut each cake in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to serving platter, spread 1/3 of caramel on top. Top with another cake layer and repeat with remaining cake layers, leaving top uncovered. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Frost tops and side of cake with chocolate ganache.

2 layers of chocolate cake~

Assembling the cake! The caramel drips into all the small crevices for a deliciously moist cake

Completed cake!!!

DIG IN!!!!!! =D =D

I also made a mini version for my supervisor who was going away on maternity leave ^^

Mini chocolate and salted carmel layer cake