I promised myself that once all the school madness is over.
I will bake something to unwind (:
and I did! hehe
been wanted to try this recipe for ages.
and i did.
mine didn’t turn out as yummy as I thought it would be.
though it looks pretty haha.

i think the icing just taste of butter, sadly.
and my salted caramel didn’t stay in the middle of the cupcake.
it got absorbed by the cupcake for some reason
maybe it was too thin haha.

ah wells. (:
it’s still quite good.
baby said he likes it.
hopefully it taste better when it’s been put in the fridge!

so here’s the recipe!
(adapted from Bake or Break)

Cupcake

1 1/2 cups of plain flour
3/4 cups dutch cocoa
1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup warm water

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 350° (175 C°).
Line mini muffin pans with paper liners.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and water. Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix until smooth.

3. Fill muffin pans about 2/3 full.
Bake about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to wire racks to let cool completely.

4. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.

Salted-Caramel Filling

2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1tbs light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tsp sea salt

Steps :

1. Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high heat.
Stir occasionally until syrup is clear. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan.
Stop stirring, and cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed.

2. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and temperature just reaches 360°.

3. Remove from heat. Slowly pour in cream and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in sea salt. Use immediately. If caramel begins to harden, reheat gently until pourable.

4. Use a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece, about 1/2-inch deep, from the center of each cupcake.
Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of warm filling into each cupcake. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 & 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Steps :

1. Combine cocoa and boiling water. Stir until cocoa has dissolved.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar,
and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate.
Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture.

3. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month.
Bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.

4. Fit a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip (Wilton #18).
Fill pastry bag with frosting. Pipe onto cupcakes, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak.
Garnish with a pinch of sea salt.

5. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted.
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

i think it’s the prettiest I’ve made.
just wish it was yummier and made me go WOW. haha
but it was still good! (: