Butter Pecan Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe 415

Steps:

• HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE: Heat sugar over medium-high heat in 1 to 1 1/2 quart heavy saucepan or saute pan. When sugar starts to melt, start whisking the sugar. It will clump up, but keep whisking. It will continue to melt. When the sugar is melted, stop whisking and instead swirl the pan to move the sugar around. Continue cooking sugar until it is completely melted and reaches a deep amber color. Carefully whisk in the butter, whisking till melted. The caramel may clump at the sides. Remove pan from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream. Whisk until cream is incorporated and caramel is smooth. Whisk in salt. Let sauce cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then pour into a pint mason jar and cool to room temperature. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups CUPCAKES: Heat oven to 350°F Cut 1 tablespoon. butter into small pieces; add to pecans in oven-proof dish. Bake, stirring after butter melts, 5 to 7 minutes, or till pecans are nicely toasted and butter is absorbed. Cool. Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Whisk flour; lightly spoon and level to measure, then sift twice into medium bowl with baking powder and soda. In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugar, salt and 1 stick butter. Beat at medium speed 5 minutes, till light and fluffy, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, adding vanilla with last egg and beating till yellow disappears after each addition. Using lowest speed of mixer, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour and adding nuts with last addition of flour. Stir batter with spatula, briefly, to be sure everything is mixed well. Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 cup batter. Bake 15-17 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs. Cool on wire rack completely before frosting. SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: In medium bowl, beat butter till light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; gradually add sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. Add salted caramel sauce and cream on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed gradually to high and beat till frosting is light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate frosting at least 1/2 hour, or longer. (Can be made the day before.) If desired, garnish frosted cupcakes with additional toasted chopped pecans. Refrigerate leftovers and allow to sit at room temperature one hour before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• For the salted caramel: Combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water and the corn syrup in a small saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, swirling the pot occasionally, until the mixture is a beautiful amber color (watch closely). Once the desired color is reached, immediately add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated. Remove from the heat. Add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate. Stir in the coarse salt. Pour 1/2 cup of the salted caramel into a small bowl or measuring cup, and the remainder into another bowl. Cool completely, stirring occasionally. (You can speed up the cooling by putting the caramel into the refrigerator, but it must be pourable when you are ready to assemble the cupcakes.)
• For the brittle: Butter a small baking sheet and set aside. In a small but deep saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a full boil over high heat, and boil until a candy thermometer reaches 280 degrees F. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the baking soda, and then the pecans. Pour onto the prepared pan and spread with a rubber spatula. Top with the coconut. Allow to cool. Break the brittle into pieces of desired size.
• For the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and kosher salt and set aside. Combine the milk and vanilla and set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once incorporated, add the eggs, one at a time, at low speed. Be sure to incorporate after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Do not over beat. Once incorporated, add the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Alternate with three parts flour and two parts milk, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary (we don't want any butter chunks stuck to the bottom). Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner with batter.
• Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to the racks to cool completely before filling and frosting.
• While the cupcakes are baking, make the buttercream: Combine the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar is melted. Remove from the heat, place under the mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk at medium-high speed until soft peaks form and it cools to room temperature. Add the butter and beat until incorporated. With the mixer running, slowly beat in the 1/2 cup reserved salted caramel until the mixture is homogenous. Set aside at cool room temperature until you are ready to frost the cupcakes.
• To assemble: Use a small serrated knife, core each cupcake about 1 1/4 inches wide at the top and halfway into the cake. (Discard the cores-or nibble while you work.) Fill each with about 1 tablespoon of the remaining salted caramel. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Frost each cupcake with a generous amount of caramel Swiss buttercream and garnish with crumbled pecan coconut brittle. Eat.