Festive Chocolate Caramel Muffins
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(0 votes)
Difficulty:
moderate
Difficulty
Preparation:
2 h.
Preparation
ready in 2 h. 20 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
12
- For the cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps Baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 0.333 cup superfine caster sugar
- 0.333 cup butter
- 1 cup plain Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids, chopped)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 6 Tbsps milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the chocolate buttercream
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp cream (18% fat; more if needed)
- For the caramel icing
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ⅛ cup milk
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (more if needed)
- To decorate
- 2 ¼ cups blue Sugar paste
- powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ cups white Sugar paste
- 1 tube black piping icing
- edible, silver Bauble
Preparation steps
1.
For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Place 12 paper cases in a muffin tin.
2.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar.
3.
Heat the butter in a pan until melted, then break in half the chocolate and stir until melted.
4.
Grate the remaining chocolate and set aside.
5.
Whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla and stir into the dry ingredients with the melted chcolate mixture and the grated chocolate. Stir gently until blended.
6.
Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
7.
For the chocolate buttercream: beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
8.
Sift in the cocoa and beat well. Stir in enough cream until creamy. Add more cream if necessary to loosen the mixture.
9.
Spoon into a piping bag and pipe lines on 6 cakes as in the photo.
10.
For the caramel icing: melt the butter and sugar in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 20 minutes.
11.
Beat in the milk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar gradually and beat well until thick enough to spread.
12.
Spread the icing on the remaining 6 cakes
13.
To decorate: roll out half the blue sugarpaste on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Cut out rounds with a crimped-edged cutter slightly smaller than the diameter of the cakes. Place on top of the buttercream.
14.
Roll out half the white sugarpaste thickly as before. cut out 12 rectangles, pressing the centres to curve slightly. Pipe 'Happy Holidays' with the black piping icing on each one. Leave to set.
15.
Roll the sugarpaste trimmings into small balls and attach to the cakes with a little water. Attach the sugarpaste rectangles with a little water and leave to dry.
16.
Roll out the remaining white and blue sugarpastes separately. Cut out rounds from the white sugarpaste, slightly smaller than the diameter of the cakes.
17.
Using a snowflake cutter or card template, cut out snowflakes from the blue sugarpaste. Attach to the white sugarpaste rounds with a little water. Place a silver ball in the centre of each snowflake.
