Turtles Cupcakes

 

  

Ingredients: (makes 24 cupcakes)

For the Cupcakes:

* 1cup + 2tbsp All Purpose Flour

* 3/4cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

* 3/4tsp Salt

* 1tsp + 1/8tsp Baking Soda

* 1/2tsp Baking Powder 

* 3/4cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

* 1cup + 2tbsp Granulated Sugar

* 2 Eggs (room temperature)

* 6tbsp Sour cream (room temperature)

* 2 1/2tsp Vanilla extract 

* 2 1/2tsp Instant Coffee Granules 

* 1cup + 2tbsp Buttermilk (room temperature)

For the Caramel Sauce & Filling:

* 2tbsp Unsalted Butter 

* 1cup Pecan halves 

* 2cups Granulated Sugar 

* 3/4cup Salted butter (cut into cubes)

* 1cup Heavy cream (room temperature)

* 2tsp Vanilla extract 

* 2tsp Sea Salt (fine/ powdered) 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

* 1cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

* 1 and 1/2 packages of cream cheese (8oz packages) at room temperature 

* 7 1/2cups Icing Sugar 

* 6tbsp Salted Caramel sauce 

* 1 1/2tsp Vanilla extract 

For the Chocolate Ganache:

* 1/2cup dark or semi sweet chocolate chips 

* 1/4cup Heavy cream 

Plus 

* 2cups Chopped Pecans 

* 12 Mini Turtles Chocolates cut into halves 

Turtles Cupcake Minis  

Method:

1. Prepare the Caramel and Pecan filling for the cupcakes first, and set it aside. To prepare filling, set oven to 350degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Melt 2tbsp of butter, and toss the pecans in it, ensuring the pecans are coated well. Spread pecans on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until toasted. 

3. Let cool, and chop up the pecans, and set aside. 

4. Make the caramel sauce next. Using a heavy non-stick pan, add the sugar and heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it turns amber. Ensure to stir constantly, and keep a close watch on the pot or the sugar will burn. 

5. As soon as the sugar turns amber, add in the cubes of butter, whisking well, until butter melts. Once the butter is fully combined, add in the cream slowly, while whisking well. It may begin to bubble up so keep a close eye. If the caramel clumps, just keep whisking until the sauce smoothens out again. 

6. Allow caramel to boil for about1 minute, remove from heat and add in vanilla and sea salt. 

7. Set aside half the caramel sauce, for the drizzle. Add the toasted chopped pecans to the rest of the caramel sauce and combine the two. Once cooled, put in air tight container and set aside. 

8. Next make chocolate cupcakes. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with paper liners. 

9. Combine the sifted flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

10. Using a stand mixer, with paddle attachment, beat the butter first, until soft and fluffy, then add sugar and whisk on medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring the mixture is well combined. 

11. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing on low, until just combined. 

12. In a bowl combine the vanilla and the instant coffee granules. Add the vanilla coffee mixture together with the sour cream to the batter, and beat on medium until well combined. 

13. Add in the dry ingredients (#9) and buttermilk in 5 parts. Start with dry and end with dry. Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then last half of buttermilk, and finally the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix in between each addition. 

14. Once the batter has been combined, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners (fill 2/3 of the liner). Bake for 18-20 minutes (check oven at 18 minutes). Once ready, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan. 

15. Transfer to cooling rack for cooling completely, prior to frosting. 

16. While cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Chill a bowl for 30 minutes in the fridge. To make the frosting, beat the butter first using an electric beater on medium. Then add cream cheese and beat with electric mixer, until light and fluffy. The butter and cream cheese will turn fluffy and pale. 

17. Add 4 cups of the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low after each cup is added. 

18. Add caramel sauce and vanilla and beat until combined. Next, add remaining icing sugar (1 cup at a time) and beat until combined. Once all ingredients have been added, and combined, turn electric beater to high and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. 

19. Finally make the ganache, heat the whipping cream in a pan, do not bring to a boil. Once heated, put the chocolate in a heat safe bowl, add the heated cream to the chocolate, and whisk well, until creamy and smooth. Set aside to cool. 

Putting it together:

1. Pour the cooled caramel and pecan mix into a piping bag (you do not need to use an icing tip, just use the opening in the piping bag). Core a small part of the very middle of the cupcakes using an apple corer, or a sharp knife (ensuring not to crumble the core you take out). The top of the core will be place back over the hole once the caramel and pecan sauce has been piped in. Pipe in a little of the sauce, and then replace cake core top. 

2. Add the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag, and pipe it on to the cupcakes. 

3. Pour the caramel sauce for the topping into a piping bag and pipe onto the frosting (the sauce should be cooled prior to piping).  

4. Next pipe on ganache. 

5. Sprinkle finely chopped pecans onto frosting. 

6. Cut the mini turtles in half adding a half on to the very top of each cupcake as a finishing touch. 

   

Enjoy! Should you decide to make these yummy cupcakes, I would love to see your creations. #sugarathome or @sugarathome

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