Salted Rum Caramel Cupcakes - And a Farewell

There are times when you see something and then all you can think of is making them. Yeah, you know what I am talking about. When I saw these salted caramel cupcakes from the "Eat and Be Happy" blog, i knew I had to make it. I have given a slight twist to the recipe by adding some Rum Flavor. Try this and let me know if u like it.

This recipe may seem long and tedious but belive me its worth the effort. Making the caramel sauce is the tough part but you can always make it ahead and refrigerate.

Salted Caramel Rum sauce

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup cream ( I used nestle)
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tbsp rum flavor.

Combine the caster sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and starts to change colour, gently swirling the pan occasionally. Cook the syrup until it turns a deep golden color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the cream immediately. Return the pan to heat and cook the caramel, stirring constantly, till it thickens. Stir in the salt and let the caramel cool completely. I made mine a day ahead.

Cupcakes

• 130g salted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp salted caramel sauce
• 1 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk.

1. Preheat the oven at 175C. Line one cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the caster and brow sugar and cream together throughly, scrapping the sides of the bowl down occasionally. Add the eggs in, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the salted caramel sauce to the mixture, beating well to combine. Alternating between the flour mixture and the milk, add the flour mixture and milk, mixing well each time.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake cups. Bake the cupcakes in the centre of the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcakes come out with moist crumbs clinging. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

Salted caramel frosting

• 3 egg whites , at room temperature
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g salted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce, cooled
• 1/4 tbsp Rum flavor ( if you need a strong flavour)

1. Combine the eggs and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to boil and using a handheld mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar together over the simmering water until the sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is thick and fluffy and very hot, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove the bowl from heat and beat the eggs on medium high speed until they are tripled in volume, form soft peaks and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to touch, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. Add the butter cubes to the egg mixture gradually, beating well after each addition. When the frosting is smooth and glossy, fold in the salted caramel sauce.

But the last part was the toughest, my frosting turned very watery and i had to freeze it for a couple of hours before i could pipe them on to the cakes.

I made a bunch of these on my last day at work. My colleagues loved it in spite of the melted frosting ! 

Birthday Cupcakes - White Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue ButterCream.

White Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream, a photo by freshjasmine on Flickr.

I was super excited about experimenting my newly aquired skill for my husband's birthday and here is the result. These are the white cupcakes from Martha Stewarts recipe. I used Swiss meringue butter cream for the frosting.

Here goes the recipe.

White Cupcakes

White cupcakes are made with egg whites only instead of whole eggs and are very light and delicate. 

The below ingredients make 24.

• 3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour ( not self rising)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 table spoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 5 large egg whites , room temperature
• Swiss meringue butter cream ( recipe follows)
• gel paste food colors

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F . Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Stir vanilla into milk
3. With electric mixer on medium high speed , cream butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of milk, beating until just combined after each.
4. In another bowl, with electric mixture on medium speed, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one third of the egg whites into batter to lighten. Gently  fol in remaining whites in two batches.
5. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling 3 quarters of the cup. Firmly tap the tins once on countertop to release any air bubbles. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 18-20 mins.
6. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool 10 mins, turn out cupcakes into rack to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen upto 2 months in airtight containers. 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream


The below ingredients make 5 cups

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound( 4 sticks ) unsalted butter cut into tablespoons at room temperature.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Combine egg whites, sugar, salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to touch and sugar has dissolved ( mixture shud completely feel smooth when rubbed between fingertips)
2. Whisk on an electric mixture on medium high speed until stiff peaks form . Continue mixing until mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool. about 10 mins.
3. In medium low speed, add butter few tablespoons at a time. mixing well. Add vanilla, Continue beating until frosting is completely smooth. 

Keep the butter cream at room temp if using on the same day, store in airtight container and refrigerate upto 3 days or freeze upto 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat low speed until smooth.

I tinted the buttercream with pink gel paste and piped a few designs with the Wilton 1M pastry tips.

Smitten Hard

I have never been smitten by something so small and sweet. I was browsing through the shelves of library on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I found this book "Martha Stewarts Cupcakes" , I had a hard time taking my eye off the book since then. I am truly inspired and Yo ! , here begins my foray into the cupcake world. I am off to the bakers store today to grap a few piping tips, muffin tins. You can see a few posts in the days to come.