Toffee Cupcakes With Caramel Frosting

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
Toffee Cupcakes with Caramel FrostingThere are good, but not great. The cupcakes are quite moist, but pretty bland. The frosting is super sweet, and sort of overpowers the simplicity of the cupcake. The cupcake recipe suggested making either caramel frosting, buttercream frosting, or chocolate fudge frosting. I think if I were to make these again, I’d use chocolate frosting.

[Edited to add: My coworkers give these a thumbs up. Apparently I’m in the minority.]

Also, the frosting recipe said to stir 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. However, I couldn’t get it to thicken very much, and was afraid if I kept it on the heat the caramel would burn. Consequently, it ended up more of a caramel ice cream topping consistency than a frosting consistency. But it still tasted good, albeit really sweet.

Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 egg whites
2/3 buttermilk
2/3 cup toffee bits

  1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together brown sugar and butter until well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until smooth. Add toffee bits, beating until smooth.
  3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Yields one dozen.

Frosting
1 cup whipping (35% cream)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt

  1. In a heavy saucepan, combine cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir until smooth and pour into a bowl. Let cool in bowl, stirring occasionally. Caramel will thicken further as it sits and cools.
  3. Stir cooled caramel well and spread or spoon over cooled cupcakes.

My notes:

  • Make the frosting before the cupcakes so it has time to cool.
  • Don’t be lame like me and put the frosting in an aluminum bowl to cool. Duh.

Recipes from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes.

Comments

11 Responses to “Toffee Cupcakes With Caramel Frosting”

    rachel on 1 March 29th, 2007 4:18 am

    They look pretty! I wonder if using dark brown sugar would make them more flavorful? Toffee flavor is really hard to make in baked goods!

    H on 2 March 29th, 2007 5:23 am

    Rachel, good suggestion, thanks! And sadly, I think the toffee flavor is solely dependent on the toffee chips…this cookbook has been really disappointing thus far, nothing has stood out.

    Cheryl on 3 March 29th, 2007 6:19 am

    They look really good. Sorry that the taste didn’t come out as you preferred. It only means now you know and they can only get better from here. Love the way you set up your pictures.

    Ari (Baking and Books) on 4 March 30th, 2007 12:47 pm

    You know what else might be a good sweetener is molasses, though you’d have to play around with the wet-dry ratio and probably adjust how much toffee you use.

    At least your coworkers liked them! Very nice of you to share with them. 🙂

    Kristen on 5 March 30th, 2007 8:17 pm

    I think I’d have to go with your co-workers on this. These sound delicious!

    Patricia Scarpin on 6 April 2nd, 2007 11:03 am

    The word “toffee” make me drool. 🙂

    The cupcakes look delicious!

    kevin on 7 April 7th, 2007 9:13 am

    Wow, those look fantastic! Also, I applaud your posting style. It takes such discipline and organization to photograph each stage of the preparation as you have. I’m lucky to even get the final shot!

    Kat on 8 April 9th, 2007 8:11 am

    I wish I was an employee at your work – the lucky dogs!

    mkecupcakequeen on 9 April 11th, 2007 11:10 am

    Taste of Home magazine is offering a free CUPCAKE OF THE WEEK newsletter. Sign up at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/cupcake

    Shannon on 10 April 12th, 2007 10:35 am

    I made these last night and they were AWESOME!!! At first my topping came out a little runny like the comments said but then I boiled it again and it thickened pretty nicely after sitting overnight.

    They were a big hit with they guys I work with. THANKS!!

    Clare on 11 April 12th, 2007 10:42 am

    I had some amazing date and toffee cupcakes at Citizen Cupcake in San Francisco a while back and have been looking for a recipe. I think this will make a great base recipe, if I can only figure out how to incorporate the dates :). Thank you!