Gingerbread Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Icing

These gingerbread cupcakes are getting me into the festive mood with the little gingerbread men and candy cane toppers, as well as some gingerbread men sprinkles. I recently made Nigella's classic gingerbread recipe but these will be a popular variation with the addition of a gorgeous, creamy salted caramel buttercream.

If you want to make a delicious frosting for any of your bakes then this caramel frosting is a good un! It's a regular buttercream with homemade caramel beaten in. It's got a lovely flavour and is great for kids without the salt or big kids with the salt! :-)



The cute cupcake cases and toppers are from Cake Craft World, as are the gingerbread men sprinkles. Alternatively you often see gingerbread cupcakes topped with a little gingerbread man biscuit. If you'd like to make your own gingerbread men, you can find a recipe here. They look really cute with a little royal icing decoration.

I'm entering these into our monthly baking challenge - Calendar Cakes. This month it's hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes and we host alternately. The theme is 'Go Crackers for Christmas'. If you'd like to enter you can find the details over at Dolly Bakes.

Ingredients

140g unsalted butter
200g golden caster sugar
60g black treacle
60g golden syrup
2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
300g plain flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
240 ml warm milk

Salted Caramel Buttercream

125g white caster sugar
80 ml double cream
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste...I found this to be very salty)
1 tsp vanilla extract
160g salted butter
200g icing sugar

Pre heat the oven to 190c/170c fan/gas 5 and place the cases into the holes of a muffin tin. This recipe will make about 15 cupcakes.

Start by creaming together the butter and sugar together in a bowl, it should be light and fluffy and become paler. Then add the treacle, syrup, eggs and yolds adn combine thoroughly.

In a separate bowl sift together the plain flour, baking powder, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Add half the flour mixtue and half the warm milk to the butter and sugar mixutre. Combine well before adding the remaining flour and milk and mixing again.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes. The cakes should be risen and lightly firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack out of the tin.

To make the frosting, first you must make the caramel. Heat the caster sugar along with 4 tablespoons of water. The sugar should dissolve but don't stir it, otherwise it could crystalise, you can however swirl it. When the sugar is dissolved, turn up the heat. The caramel should bubble and will thicken and turn a light amber colour after about 5 or so minutes. Take the caramel off the heat and immediately stir in the cream, sugar and vanilla extract but do take care as it may sputter. Leave to cool completely.

Mix the icing sugar and softened butter together for at least 4-5 minutes. Then add the caramel and beat it in. This frosting is then ready to be piped on top of the cooled cupcakes. Make sure you only put soft caramel into the frosting, if there are any set or crystalised parts they will block up the piping nozzle.

* Adapted from the BBC GoodFood Website