Caramelized White Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
Ingredients
Caramelized White Chocolate Cupcakes
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
Strawberry Buttercream
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter room temperature, cut into tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons ground freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
Caramelized White Chocolate Cupcakes
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In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, add the chocolate. Stir frequently with a heatproof spatula, until the chocolate darkens to a caramelly, toffee-y color. This will take about 15 minutes. You can turn the heat up, but you will have to watch it much more closely. Don’t worry if it seizes up and becomes crumbly; it’s a good thing! Cool completely, then break up any big chunks.
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Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
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On low speed, alternately add the flour and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the chocolate.
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Fill 12 lined muffin cups. Using a skewer or knife, thoroughly swirl 1 teaspoon caramel into each cupcake.
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Bake at 350F for 17 -20 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes.
Strawberry Buttercream
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In the heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch.
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Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until the meringue holds stiff (but not dry) peaks, and the bowl is room temperature.
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Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and strawberries.
Recipe Notes
Cake adapted from Joy of Baking, buttercream from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.
You can spread out the white chocolate on a lined baking sheet and caramelize it in the oven at 250F for 45ish minutes, stirring occasionally. It requires less attention than stovetop, but takes longer. Normally you don't want your chocolate to seize when you caramelize it, but in this case, the chunks make it easier to stir into the batter.
To make these easier: don't caramelize the white chocolate, or omit it all together (and maybe swirl more caramel into the cake batter).
If you're not serving these on the day that you bake the cupcakes, store them at room temperature in an airtight container so that they don't dry out.
This strawberry buttercream recipe makes a very modest amount of frosting. Feel free to double it if you like your cupcakes well frosted.