Caramel Puddle Cupcakes

I found this recipe in the Hamilton paper last week. In showing it to my son, he wanted to make them. He came up with an idea of making a well in the middle and adding caramel sauce which has been made thicker than normal. The cupcake is almost like angelfood cake. We really enjoyed them.

Caramel Buttercream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup regular or low fat sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In large bowl using electric beaters, beat butter for 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar, beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using wooden spoon, alternately stir flour mixture and sour scream into butter mixture, making three additions of flour and two of sour cream.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about three quarters full.
Bake in centre of oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Transfer to rack for 5 minutes.
Remove cupcakes to rack; let cool completely.

Icing:

Makes 2 cups

2/3 cups unsalted butter, very soft
2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 tbsp milk

In large bowl, using electric mixer, beat icing sugar and butter on low speed, adding enough milk in between additions to achieve spreading consistency.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup of sugar

5 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.

2. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir slowly with a whisk or wooden spoon.

3. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.

5. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.