Caramel latte cupcakes (recipe)

Whenever we frequent a certain big coffee chain, Mark always orders the same drink: the caramel latte with squirty cream and caramel sauce. It’s a beast of a drink and I always steal some of the topping before he gets his first sip.

Anyway, I was home with two poorly kids this week, so we kept busy with lots of TV and duvet time and a little bit of baking. These cakes are the result. The sponge is flavoured with coffee and vanilla, the frosting is white chocolate vanilla buttercream, and the sauce is a sort of caramely fudge.

If you fancy creating these caramel latte cupcakes, yourself here’s what to do…

Ingredients

For the sponges

• 175g slightly salted butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 medium free range eggs
• 1tbsp hot water
• 1tsp instant coffee
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking poweder
• 200g self raising flour

For the frosting

• 150g slightly salted butter, softened
• 380g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g white chocolate

For the sauce

• 60g slightly salted butter
• 60g light brown sugar
• 60ml double cream

You’ll also need

• 12 hole muffin tray
• 12 muffin cases
• Icing bag and star nozzle

Instructions

Make the sponges

1. Preheating the oven to 180C (160C fan assisted)
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. Next, beat in the eggs and vanilla
4. Stir the coffee and hot water together until dissolved, then add the cold milk and pour into the batter, mixing well
5. Stir in the flour and baking powder
6. Transfer the mix evenly into the muffin case lined muffin tray
7. Bake for 20 minutes until springy on top
8. Cool completely on a wire rank

Make the frosting

1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until well combined, pale and fluffy
2. Add the milk and beat again
3. Melt the white chocolate, allow to cool a little and then add to the mix while still beating
4. Transfer to your piping bag and pipe tall swirls on each cake

Make the sauce

1. Heat the butter and sugar over a medium heat until melted, stirring continuously
2. Add the cream and warm back through until it’s gently bubbling
3. Keep stirring and heating until it thickens enough to coat the spoon
4. Take off the heat and allow to cool a little
5. When room temperature, drizzle over the cakes (I used a clean squeezy ketchup bottle) and leave to set – it will go tacky but not hard

Ta da! Worth a try for the coffee lover in your life?