Whoa!

Warning: Over the top cupcake alert.

These Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes have so much going on. They start with a rich, but tender chocolate cake that is filled with a creamy caramel. The caramel oozes into the cake and makes it meltingly moist. As if that was not enough, the cupcakes get topped with a silky smooth rum-scented salted caramel buttercream icing, a drizzle of chocolate and caramel and a sprinkle of crunchy praline pecans.

All I can say is WOW!

Just a few notes:

1. The original recipe said it yielded 24 cupcakes. I got closer to 30, which meant that I did not have enough icing to frost all of the cupcakes.

2. The recipe for Brown Sugar Pecans makes waaay more than you need for the recipe. They are so delicious though, that you should make the whole recipe and use the remainder on top of ice cream or as a snack.

3. Store bought caramel would work fine as a substitute for the homemade.

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes (recipe follows)
Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
Caramel Buttercream (recipe follows)
Brown Sugar Pecans (recipe follows)
Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

1. Cut a small hole in top of cupcake and fill with caramel sauce.

2. Trim hole cut out into a flat disc and place on top of caramel.

3. Use a closed star tip to pipe buttercream on top of cupcake.

4. Drizzle a little chocolate sauce and caramel sauce over the icing, then sprinkle with chopped brown sugar pecans.

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Line 30 muffin cups with cupcake papers. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. (My batter looked curdled after the first addition of buttermilk, but smoothed out eventually.)

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.

2. Increase heat to high. Swirl pan to keep the mixture moving as the sugar melts. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after about a minute.

3. After approximately 2 minutes the mixture will turn a light shade of amber. Watch very closely and remove when it is dark amber, another 30 seconds or so.

4. Immediately remove from the heat and add the cream. Whisk to combine. Caramel may bubble up and seize. Just return to low heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Caramel Buttercream

Ingredients:

½ cup + 2 Tbs granulated sugar, divided
2 Tbs water
½ tsp salt
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 Tbs dark rum

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.

2. Increase heat to high. Swirl pan to keep the mixture moving as the sugar melts. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after about a minute.

3. After approximately 2 minutes the mixture will turn a light shade of amber. Watch very closely and remove when it is dark amber, another 30 seconds or so.

4. Immediately remove from the heat and add the cream and milk. Whisk to combine. Caramel may bubble up and seize. Just return to low heat and stir until smooth.

5. Whisk together the egg yolks, two remaining tablespoons of sugar, and salt.

6. Slowly add hot caramel to egg yolk mixture.

7. Pour combined mixture back into saucepan over medium low heat, and stir continuously until mixture coats the back of the spoon.

8. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a stand-mixer bowl. Beat the mixture with the wire whip at medium speed until it is light and cool (about 3 to 5 minutes). It is very important for the mixture to be completely cool before adding the butter.

9. Replace wire whip with the paddle attachment. Gradually beat in softened butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter has been incorporated, beat the buttercream on high until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute.

10. Reduce the speed and beat in the vanilla and rum. Increase the speed once again and beat the buttercream for another minute, until light and creamy.

Brown Sugar Pecans

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans
6 tablespoons butter
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325℉. Line baking sheet with non-stick foil.

2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir until brown sugar dissolves.

3. Toss pecans in mixture and spread over prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake pecans for 25 minutes, stirring half way through.

Recipes from Bakers Royale

‘My Friend On The Couch’.

Man, I just love song titles like that. It just begs to be listened to so you can find out the what and why.

‘MFOTC’ is from the debut album by Edinburgh-based band Dante, produced and recorded by Frightened Rabbit’s Andy Monaghan. It is one of 10 lovely, celticky tunes full of plunky guitar, friendly fiddle, solid drumming and thoughtful lyrics.

Check out Dante on the band’s Website, where you can link to buy their music.

Cheers!