Sticky Toffee Cupcakes
A comforting, indulgent Autumn treat, these cupcakes are to DIE for. And personally, I feel that with the addition of all those chopped dates we can almost categorise them as a health food….
Makes 12 muffin-sized cakes
Ingredients
For the cakes
180g pitted dates
180ml boiling water
80g unsalted butter, softened
150g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
180g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the frosting
160g unsalted butter, softened
500g icing sugar
50ml whole milk
100g tinned caramel or dulce de leche
Additional tinned caramel to pipe over finished cakes
Firstly chop your dates. The easiest way to do this is to give them a quick whizz in a blender. Pour over the boiling water and leave them to soak for about 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C (170˚C fan oven) and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and mix well.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Gradually add these to the wet mixture. Finally add the dates and vanilla essence. Mix thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the paper cases and bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes until well-risen and springy. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter and icing sugar until sandy in texture and no butter lumps remain. Gradually add the milk and beat until light and fluffy. Finally add the caramel, mixing until it is well-incorporated.
Pipe the frosting onto the cakes and finish with a swirl of leftover caramel.