STICKY TOFFE CUPCAKES with SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

It's been a while since I made a cupcake. My younger daughter has become the cupcake Queen, making me redundant in the roll. She has become known as "cupcake Carrie". She makes the most wonderful cakes for family occasions and also for friends and colleagues.

However when I saw these I knew I had to get back in there and make a batch. For a while now I have been fascinated by the salted caramel thing that seems to be going on everywhere. So this was my chance to try it out for myself.

I loved the simplicity of the recipe as it used a yogurt pot as measurement. And using oil instead of butter I knew they would be very moist, and stay moist for several days.

I had never used Carnation Caramel before, and it certainly saved boiling the tin of carnation milk. So with all ingredients in place I got to work, or maybe I should say play, as baking is not really like work. I worked my way through the stages and before too long delicious looking cupcakes emerged from the oven. Problem was now waiting for them to cool so I could ice them.

Time passed, cakes cooled and I set to icing them. OMG, these were so delicious. I don't pretend they were healthy or low fat, quite the opposite. So if you want to ditch the diet and sink your teeth into something soft and delicious, salty and sweet, then this is for you.

I sent them with my husband for his colleagues the next day as I couldn't trust myself with them around the kitchen, especially when with my new coffee machine it would be so easy to sit down with a frothy coffee and STICKY TOFFEE CUPCAKE with SALTED CARAMEL BUTTER CREAM. See where I'm coming from?



Makes 12
120g pot natural yogurt
1 x yogurt pot sunflower oil
2 x yogurt pot light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
3 x yogurt pot of self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

FROSTING

100g (4ozs) softened unsalted butter
75g (3ozs) full fat cream cheese
150g (5ozs) icing sugar (I had to use a bit more as icing was too soft)
3 TBSP Carnation Caramel or Dulche de Leche
1tsp sea salt

Heat oven to 180c (350f).
Beat yogurt,oil and sugar together, add eggs, then fold in flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt.
Divide between 12 cupcake cases and bake for 15 mins, until risen and springy.
Remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.

Cream butter, cream cheese and icing sugar together for at least 5 mins. Add Caramel and sea salt and whisk in well.
Transfer to piping bag and swirl on to cooled cakes.
Decorate with some a sprinkle of sea salt and muscovado sugar.

Try if you can to resist. Feedback from husband's colleagues, excellent! So they're happy I'm happy.