Santa’s favorite chocolate cupcakes

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well.

These cupcakes are just amazing; chocolate cupcakes with a decadent chocolate frosting and topped with a luscious caramel sauce…

Enjoy!

Santa’s  favorite Chocolate Cupcakes 

• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup (280 g) regular sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup (160 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (60 g) Valrhona cocoa powder, or other good-quality cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (225 ml) whole milk
• 3 1/2 oz. (100 g) chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Do not overmix.

Add the vanilla extract with the last egg.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt into a separate bowl, then sift the mixture once more.

Tip into the mixing bowl with the milk and beat until everything is well blended.

Stir in the chocolate cips.

Line two cupcake trays with paper cases. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter between them, one scoop per paper case.

Place the first tray in the middle of the preheated oven for about 18 minutes.

Leave to cool while you bake the last tray.

Leave all the cupcakes to cool completely while you get on with the frosting.

Make this frosting.

I like pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes using a large French tip.

Drizzle over some homemade caramel sauce…

Caramel sauce

• 1 cup (225 g) regular sugar
• 1/4 cup (65 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (85 ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter

Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and place on a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved.

Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil without stirring. Allow to bubble away until the mixture turns to a rich amber colored caramel, then take the pan off the heat.

Pour in the cream, but use caution when adding the cream to the pan as the mixture will bubble up.

Add the vanilla, followed by the butter. Put the pan back on the heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture no longer bubbles up.

Leave to cool slightly.

When you are just about to serve them, drizzle a teaspoonful of caramel sauce on top of each cupcake.

OMGosh this is sooo yummy…

Have a nice day everyone!

Hugs from me to you.