Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
225g Plain Flour
225g Homemade Vanilla Sugar
1 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Large Free Range Eggs
1 plump Vanilla pod
125ml Sunflower Oil
125ml Milk
4 Tbsps Instant Coffee
For the Soaking Syrup
5 Tbsp water
75g natural caster sugar
2 Tbsp instant coffee
1/4 Tsp vanilla bean paste
For the Caramel Sauce
250ml double cream
125ml water
200g natural caster sugar
15ml light corn syrup or glucose
Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees (160 degrees in fan oven).
Spray silicone molds with cake release.
In a large mixing bowl sift together all the dry ingredients.
In a jug, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla pod seeds, then pour onto dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 mins.
Lightly beat in the coffee granules until they are almost fully dissolved. Your batter should be a light brown colour with specks of coffee, (if this is not to your taste, then warm the milk for 1 min in microwave and dissolve coffee in this, cool completely, then whisk in eggs, oil and vanilla as above).
Fill your silicone molds to approximately 2/3 full, (I used these sweet little teacup silicone cases, which are readily available to buy).
Place cupcakes in your preheated oven and bake for c15 minutes. The cakes are cooked when lightly golden in colour and an inserted toothpick comes out.
To make the soaking syrup, put the sugar and water into a pan. Do not stir!
Cook on a medium heat, swirling occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved. Do not stir!
Bring up to a brisk boil and simmer for 1 min. Allow to cool slightly then stir in vanilla bean paste and instant coffee.
Whilst the cupcakes are still warm, pierce with a skewer then drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of syrup on each cake.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
To make the caramel sauce
Warm the cream in a saucepan or microwave to scalding, and then keep warm whilst making caramel.
Put the water, sugar and corn syrup (or glucose) in a pan over a gentle heat. Swirl occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved but Do Not Stir!
When the sugar has melted and all the granules have dissolved, turn the heat up to high so that the liquid begins to bubble and darken. Simmer until the mixture becomes the colour of dark honey and thickens. This will probably take 5-8 minutes but watch it carefully as it only takes a few seconds to change from caramel to burnt sugar, gently swirling the pan only if necessary (to ensure it melt and cooks evenly) until it turns a nice golden brown.
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the hot cream in a slow, steady stream. Be very careful as this will make it bubble and splutter but it will die down.
Leave to cool. Reserve 1/2 to fill and then drizzle over cakes
To make the caramel buttercream
Cream the butter and icing sugar together for at least 4- 5 minutes, then beat in the half the cooled caramel. The addition of the caramel makes a slacker buttercream, so you may need to put it into the fridge for 20mins to firm up before piping.
To Assemble the Cupcakes
After the syrup-soaked cupcakes have cooled completely, slice off the tops and make a small hole in the centre of your cupcake (I use an apple corer). Fill the hole with half of the reserved cooled caramel sauce, and replace the top of the cupcake.
Fill an icing bag fitted with a wide star piping tip with the caramel buttercream and ice the cakes. Drizzle cakes with remaining caramel. Serve and enjoy! Pin It Now!
