Chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream

Is there any more delicious and tempting combination than chocolate and salted caramel? The flecks of saltiness in sticky sweet caramel paired with irresistible chocolate is a match made in heaven.

I haven’t made any cupcakes for a while but they’re always so tempting, especially to the younger members of the family, so they’re the perfect vehicle for trying out flavour combinations. The base is a simple rich chocolate sponge. The buttercream is flavoured with salted caramel – for this you have three options – caramel essence and a pinch of salt, a caramel sauce and pinch of salt drizzled over the buttercream, or as I did using Sugar and Crumbs delicious naturally flavoured icing sugars. Which ever you choose, the end result with certainly be irresistible! I added a sprinkle of honeycomb pieces for added sweet crunch.

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 18

350g self-raising flour

200g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder

200ml sunflower oil

300ml dairy-free milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/Gas Mark 5
2. Mix together the dairy-free milk, lemon juice, vanilla and oil. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Stir in the sugar.
4. Add the bicarb to the wet ingredients and stir.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix to thoroughly combine.
6. 2/3 rds fill the cupcake cases and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

enough to pipe onto 14-18 cupcakes

1/4 cup vegetable fat (such as Trex)

3/4 cup dairy-free margarine (such as Pure)

3 cups icing sugar, sifted (i used half Sugar and Crumbs Salted caramel flavour and half normal icing sugar)

1-2 tbsps dairy-free milk

(or if using essence, add 1-2tsp caramel essence and a pinch of salt)

1. Whisk together the spread and vegetable fat.
2. Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time with a splash of the milk, until fully combined and nice and fluffy.
3. Spread or pipe onto the cupcakes.
4. Decorate with honeycomb pieces and cocoa powder if desired