The month of June has absolutely FLOWN past! We had so many celebrations going on between a belated Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, multiple birthdays and showers for my sister (who’s getting married in August, SO excited!!). I went a little cupcake crazy and, if I counted correctly, made at least 8 or 9 dozen cupcakes over the course of 4 weekends! I’ll be posting about the events over the next little while, but there’s one recipe everyone has been asking for so I’m putting it up now!

Thanks to Starbucks (I think?) everyone is half-crazed for salted caramel. The whole salty-and-sweet combo is just to DIE for. I recall reading something somewhere online that said if you crave salty and sweet together your PH balance is off – or you’re pregnant. Hah! Neither is the case for me, I just LOVE the two together! Chicago Mix popcorn is my new fave! So salted caramel was the obvious choice for one of the cupcakes to make, and it’s really not that difficult at all.

The base of the cupcake recipe is my most favourite chocolate cupcake ever from Glorious Treats!). And it seems every year I have a new favourite icing type and this year it’s ALL about the Swiss Meringue Buttercream! DIVINE! So smooth and creamy without being overly buttery or sweet.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups best quality unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water

Icing

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups unsalted butter (cool room temp and sliced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup dulce du leche (or caramel sauce)

Directions

Cupcakes

  • Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Beat on medium speed until combined.
  • Stir in boiling water until well mixed.
  • Fill cupcake liners 2/3 – 3/4 full. Bake @ 350 degrees for 18 minutes.
  • Combine egg whites and sugar in a heat proof glass bowl over boiling water. Whisk constantly until temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
  • Transfer contents to a stand mixer and mix (with WHISK attachment) on medium speed until mixture forms stiff peaks (turn the bowl upside down to test it!) and the outside of the bowl is neutral (not warm).
  • Add butter a few pieces at a time, blending well with the PADDLE attachment. Don’t worry if it looks clumpy or curdled, keep on mixing and it will come together!
  • Add salt and caramel until you get the flavour you want.

I used my pastry bag and an Ateco open star pastry tip (#828) for the icing.

Then I melted some of the caramel, drizzled it over top, and took a few Himalayan rock salts and sprinkled them on (some of them ended up too salty with too big chunks, eh heh, I got a little salt happy :D so watch that!).

salted caramel

See! Super easy! And oh my do they ever melt in your mouth :D

I learned a trick from my friend Darla on how to eat cupcakes that are loaded with icing – remove the bottom of the cupcake and place on top.

cupcake cookie

Now you have a delicious cupcake sandwich! Perhaps not as pretty, but way less messy to eat.