Autumn Baking ~ Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes

Hello lovelies and Happy Autumn!

I have already seen conkers laying under trees, yellow coloured leaves falling, the weather is very blustery and the evenings are getting darker a lot sooner. Who else loves this time of year?

This inspired me to make some cupcakes that are fitting for the start of the season, so I opted for a soft chocolate sponge, with a delicious caramel buttercream swirled onto the chocolate sponge, topped with a piece of Cadbury's Caramel bar.

I feel like the flavours of caramel and chocolate swirled together create such an autumnal taste!

Here's what you'll need to create your own version of them ~

For the cupcakes ~

Your choice of cupcake cases

🧁 175g Unsalted butter/Stork (softened)

🧁 165g Caster sugar

🧁 3 Large Free range eggs

🧁 1 tsp Baking Powder

🧁 115g Self Raising Flour

🧁 40g Cocoa Powder

🧁 4 tbsp (Boiling) Hot water

For the buttercream ~

🧁 140g Unsalted butter/stork (softened)

🧁 280g Icing sugar

🧁 1-2 tbsp Milk

🧁 1/2 tsp Caramel flavouring

🧁 1 Bar of Dairy Milk Caramel

Cupcake Method ~

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 (200c) and line your tin with the cupcake cases

2. Mix together your softened butter and caster sugar to create a soft whipped yellow mix, then combine your eggs and sift in your flour and baking powder.

3. Mix your cocoa powder with the hot water in a mug and create a runny paste, then add to your mixture and combine into a delicious chocolate mix.

4. Spoon an even amount of mixture into each case, with enough room for them to rise.

5. Pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes

6. Whilst they're baking I always like to start making my buttercream, that gives the buttercream more time to harden in the fridge.

Buttercream Method ~

1. Mix the butter with the icing sugar, adding the icing sugar gradually, or you'll feel like you're in a sugar snow storm.

2. Once these are combined add your milk 1 tbsp at a time to get the preferred texture and then add caramel, I use 2 tsp, but have a little taste to decide if you'd like more.

3. I leave it to harden slightly in the fridge for around an hour, this helps the piping.

4. I love to swirl the buttercream onto the chocolate cupcake and pop a piece of Cadbury's caramel bar on top!