HappyTummy              

Sweet and salty…if you like that combination, you’ll enjoy these mini cupcakes. I certainly did! Deep, rich, moist chocolate cupcake topped with a generous slather of buttery, salty caramel frosting…mmmm.

Now, this isn’t for everyone, mind you. The frosting can be pretty salty for some, although it is possible to adjust how much salt you actually add. I will say, however: Your tongue can play tricks on you—after taste testing little bits of frosting as I went along, my tastebuds started to get a bit desensitized, and eventually I couldn’t really tell if it was too sweet or too salty. Does that make sense?

Some of my co-workers who ate the cupcakes said they were fantastic. Another co-worker said the frosting was too salty (in my defense, though, he has high blood pressure and told me he typically avoids salt, so on the few occassions when he does taste it, he’s acutely aware of it).

Hopefully you won’t let any of that scare you away from making these. If anything, you should at least try making the caramel that flavors the frosting. If you’ve never made caramel yourself, you’re in for a grand surprise. It’s very easy, and it tastes fantastic! (Here’s another recipe for candy caramels: Honey Vanilla Fleur de Sel Caramels.)

If you’re still not convinced, and decide to forego the caramel frosting altogether, do try the cupcake recipe. It makes by far the best chocolate cupcakes on the planet. I’ve made them numerous times, with different frostings—cream cheese and vanilla buttercream frostings are the best—and they’re always great.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Makes 12 cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) turbinado sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined; then sift in remaining flour mixture and whisk batter until it is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean (18-20 minutes for cupcakes, 13-15 minutes for mini cupcakes).

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Salted Caramel Frosting
Adapted from CHOW
Makes enough for 12 cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes

• 1/8 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 tablespoons water
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 sticks), at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Be sure to use kosher salt, as a 1/2 teaspoon of table salt will be extremely salty. If you don’t have kosher salt, decrease the amount of table salt, to taste.)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Combine butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar, and mix until completely incorporated.

Turn mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add caramel. Beat frosting on medium-high speed until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until stiff, about 45 minutes, before using.