Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes

Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes

These are a delicious treat! I made this batch as a birthday present for my friend.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes

75g Milk Chocolate

125g Butter (Softened)

125g Caster Sugar

170g Flour

2tsp Baking Powder

2 Eggs

2Tbsp Cocoa

Caramel Icing:

1 cup Icing Sugar

30-50g melted butter

1tsp Vanilla Essence

2tsp Caramel Essence

2tsp Cocoa, 1tsp Cinnamon 

1 pack White Chocolate Buttons (to make decorations)

1 - Melt white chocolate in a metal or glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and stir until melted.

2 - Spoon the melted chocolate in to a snap-lock bag, or piping bag. Prepare a metal tray, or flat plate, lined with baking paper. 

3 - Pipe shapes on to the paper with the white chocolate, some ideas ------> 

P.S. - They don't have to be neat!!

4- Place the tray in the fridge until they are set.

5 - Preheat the oven to 180*c, and line a muffin tin with 12 patty cases. Then, melt the milk chocolate in the same way as you melted the white chocolate. Leave in the bowl to cool slightly.

6 - Place the butter, sugar, flour (sifted), eggs and cocoa in a large bowl and beat together until the mixture is just smooth.

7 - Place the batter 3/4 way full in to the patty cases and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until springy.

For the Icing:

Beat the butter and gradually add the icing sugar, cinnamon and cocoa. Then add the vanilla and caramel essence. The Icing should be quite thick.

Ice when the cupcakes are cold, then add the white chocolate decorations and Voila! Here we have it!

These are some of my favorite cupcakes, the chocolate could be changed to dark if you want a stronger taste :) 

Happy Baking! 

Raspberry Slice

Raspberry Slice (NZ Style)

This slice has been one of my all time favorites since I was just a little girl! Hope it works out for you too.

The recipe is based on the slice sold in NZ bakeries and supermarkets, but adapted a little to my own liking.

Ingredients:

120g Butter

1 Egg

120g Sugar

225g Flour

1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 - 3/4 cup Raspberry Jam

1 - Cream the butter and Sugar.

2 - Mix in the Vanilla Essence and Egg

3 - Add the sifted dry ingredients (Flour and Baking Powder) and mix until a stiff dough is formed. 

4 - Divide the dough in half. Roll out both halves to be the size of your slice tin. They should be about 1/2cm thick.

5 - Grease the sides of the tin, and line the base with baking paper. Place the first layer dough on the bottom of the tin like so:

6 - Spread Raspberry jam over the bottom half generously.

7 - Place the second layer of dough over top, it will be fragile, so it is easy if you cut it in to 4 separate segments and then blend together, It wont matter too much if it looks messy, the icing will cover it all up!

8 - Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180*c

9 - Ice with raspberry icing when cold!

 Raspberry Icing:
2 cups Icing Sugar
20g Melted Butter (possibly more)
A few drops of raspberry essence OR pink/red food coloring

Mix together and spread over top of the cooled slice.



And VOILA! Here we have the finished product!
This is definitely becoming a favorite of mine, and is a classic kiwi lunch box filler or afternoon tea treat!

Please tell me what you think!
Happy Baking!