Apr 16, 2013 You need to come to terms with the fact that there will be frosting on your nose. There’s an 87.5% chance you will have moist, chocolatey crumbs on your cheeks. And probably down your shirt. A dribble of caramel on your chin? I’m sorry – it’s totally unavoidable. But, hoo boy, will it be worth it. Dark chocolate cake. Creamy caramel filling. And gooey, billowing marshmallow frosting. In short, I captured happiness and embodied it in a cupcake. I call them “caramallow” cupcakes. The magic starts with scrumptious cocoa-buttermilk cupcakes – the ones your ears are tired of hearing me wax poetic about. They’re so easy – no creaming butter and sugar, just dry ingredients beaten together with wet ingredients. Practically fail-proof, and so, SO impossibly good. The batter is very runny – I find the easiest method to portion it out is to transfer it from the mixing bowl into a large measuring cup with a spout. Don’t fill them more than 2/3 or they will overflow in the oven. While the cupcakes are cooling, you make a caramel. Simply stir a cup of sugar in a saucepan on medium heat and watch the magic happen: the crystals melt into liquid, which bubble and darken until transformed into a deeply flavourful amber syrup. In go some cream and butter, et voila! Thick, sticky caramel. And there’s enough leftover to re-warm for ice cream sundaes another day… Of course if making caramel frightens you (and it’s fair to be intimidated by spattering, molten sugar), you can always use store-bought dulce de leche. The (literal) icing on the cake is a 7-minute frosting – which is soft meringue whipped in a double boiler into marshmallow-y submission. It’s like eating a cloud. I just want to stick my face in that bowl and motorboat. To “fill” the cupcakes, you first pipe frosting around the perimeter (I use an extra large closed star frosting tip). You then flood the centre with a scant teaspoon of caramel, and then finish piping the frosting on top. I find this much easier than filling a cupcake by scooping out a well with a paring knife. And just as good!
