the sweetest thing. [decadent butterscotch cupcakes topped w. a rum syrup, buttercream frosting, butterscotch sauce & English toffee]

You guys, I honestly have no words. These cupcakes are everything. Please go make them and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Rum syrup recipe:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. rum

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Let cool.

Butterscotch sauce recipe:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and swirl to combine. Whisk in cream then let mixture bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes; do not stir. Whisk in vanilla and sea salt. Let cool.

Brown sugar cupcake recipe (makes 18 cupcakes):

1 3/4 cups flour, sifted

1/2 cup cake flour, sifted

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small even pieces

2/3 cup milk, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon juice

3 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked

English toffee, chopped into small pieces, to top cupcakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. With the mixer set to low-speed, add the cold butter one piece at a time, about 10 seconds apart. Continue mixing on low-speed until all the butter has been blended and there are no clumps, about 5 minutes. Mixture should have a fine, crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.

Combine the milk and lemon juice and gradually add mixture on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the egg mixture; once the mixture has been added, increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute, but no more. Gently fold batter once or twice to make sure the egg mixture has been incorporated.

Divide batter evenly among the cupcake liners (a little more than 2/3 full) and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs but no batter, about 13 minutes. Remove cupcakes and place on wire cooling racks and brush with rum syrup while hot, then let cool completely.

Buttercream frosting recipe:

3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. rum

2-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix confectioner’s sugar and butter on medium speed. Stir in vanilla, rum and whipping cream. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar to reach desired thickness.

Butterscotch cupcake assembly:

Fill a plastic squeeze bottle or piping bag with a small tip with butterscotch sauce and push tip of the bottle or tip into the top of each cupcake, applying enough pressure to fill each cupcake with sauce. Using a separate piping bag with a larger tip attachment, pipe buttercream frosting on the cupcakes. Drizzle butterscotch sauce over frosting then sprinkle with English toffee bits.

Recipe adapted from Sweetapolita.

 

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