toffee crunch cupcakes

when i was younger, my mom used to make this amazing toffee chocolate cake chocolate pudding cool whip dessert.  okay that’s totally a long name cause i don’t really remember what it’s called.  maybe it was heath trifle or something like that?  i’m not sure.  either way though, it was so so yummy.  there were layers of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, cool whip, and crushed up heath or score bars.  sounds good right?

when i first saw these cupcakes on annie’s eats, i immediately thought of my mom’s dessert and wanted to make a batch.  i adapted the recipe a bit using my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe and altered the caramel swiss meringue buttercream to use caramel bits instead of homemade caramel sauce because i was feeling a little lazy and crunched for time.  oops!  still they look just like the annie’s and taste delicious!

this cupcake starts with a chocolate cupcake and then topped with a ring of chocolate ganache covered in toffee bits.  finally it’s frosted with a silky smooth caramel swiss meringue buttercream.  i was a little worried about the toffee bits staying crunchy because annie did mention that it would probably be best to make the cupcakes the same day you plan to serve them because the toffee bits will get soggy.  fortunately, even though i made the cupcakes the night before the toffee stayed sufficiently crunchy by the next day when i brought them in to the office for june birthday treats.  phew!

although quite rich, these toffee crunch cupcakes are absolutely scrumptious!  they got eaten up quickly by my coworkers and there were very few leftovers at the end of the day, which is always a good indication of the success of a cupcake recipe.  hope you try them soon!  you’ll be glad you did. 🙂

first, bake up some chocolate cupcakes.  while they cool, make the ganache by heating up some cream and then pour it into a medium bowl with the chocolate chips.  next add the butter tablespoon, by tablespoon.

  

once the ganache is smooth, it needs to cool a bit before it’s thick enough to be piped onto the cupcake.  so put in the fridge for a bit, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until it’s thick enough to pipe onto the cucpakes.

  

once it’s nice and thick, put the ganache into the piping bag fitted with a medium sized round tip.  then pipe a ring of ganache on each cupcake.

then dip the top of the cupcake into a bowl of toffee bits making sure to cover the ganache with lots of toffee!

so it looks like this!

repeat until all the cupcakes have a lovely ring of ganache and toffee…

now it’s time for the caramel swiss meringue buttercream – probably my favorite part of the cupcake.  first make the caramel sauce using caramel bits and some heavy cream.  if you can’t find caramel bits, just use some unwrapped caramel squares instead.  you could also make your own if you’re feeling ambitious.  this is my favorite caramel sauce recipe.

  

once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, continue making the buttercream.  for step by step pictures of how to make swiss meringue buttercream, visit this post.  finally, using a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip, pipe the caramel swiss meringue buttercream into the center of the cupcake, filling the ganache ring.

and you’re done!

even though it’s already july…

happy birthday to our june birthdays!!!

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

adapted from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Ganache and Toffee Layer

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups toffee bits (heath bits work great!)

Caramel Buttercream

• 1/2 cup caramel bits & 3 tablespoons heavy cream (or 1/3 cup caramel sauce)
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. To make cupcakes, heat oven to 350°F.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
5. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
6. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
7. Bake 22 to 25 minutes.
8. Cool completely.
9. To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.  Add the cream to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms.  Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated.
10. Transfer the bowl to the fridge or freezer to chill the ganache to a pipeable consistency, whisking every 5-10 minutes to ensure even cooling.
11. When slightly thickened, transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.  Pipe a ring of ganache around the top of each cupcake, leaving a hole in the center.
12. Add the toffee bits to a bowl and dip the ganache portion of each cupcake into the toffee bits, pressing very gently to adhere.  Let the ganache set.
13. To make the caramel swiss meringue buttercream, combine the caramel bits and heavy cream in a glass or metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.  Heat until the caramel bits melt completely and the caramel sauce is smooth.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.
14. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.
15. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)
16. Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!)
17. Blend in the caramel sauce and salt until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
18. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip with the frosting and pipe a frilly pile of frosting on top of each cupcake, filling the hole in the center of the ganache.

Printer Friendly Recipe: Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

Posted by miki on July 2, 2012

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