Better than Anything Cupcakes

Yay!!!  It’s finally SUMMER!  Not that its hot outside but Nick finished his first year of med school on Thursday!  One down, three to go… just of school.  Probably  1/8 or 1/10 of the way to actually practicing all on his own… but who’s counting?!

Nick has worked so hard and it has really paid off.  He totally rocked his first year and I couldn’t be more proud of him!  But I am because despite the demanding 12-14 hour studying each day (he really needs this break!), he found time each day for us, to play and help with Carly, and do chores around the house apartment.

Honestly, I wish everyone could see first hand what one actually has to go through to become a practicing doctor.  I have only seen Nick go through the first year of school (probably nothing compared to residency) and I already have such an appreciation for the time, work, sacrifice, and brain capacity doctors have.  It is really quite crazy how much they have to learn in such a short amount of time (to the point of being ridiculous).  Whenever I hear Nick talk about what he learns in school I feel like my IQ drops.

Anyway, no more talk of school!  To celebrate the end of the year, we got together with friends for LOTS of pizza  and desserts.  I have been NEEDING something with chocolate so I took the yummy Better Than Anything cake and made it into cupcakes.  It was a great decision! 🙂  I mean, how can you not love chocolate cake with sweetened condensed milk and caramel seeping in and then a perfect fluffy frosting and bits of Heath on top?

I have had this frosting recipe written down (though I can’t recall where I got it from) for awhile now and finally decided to give it a try.  It does take a little more time but I’m never going back to just regular butter cream! Yeah!  It’s that good!   It super smooth, fluffy, and not sickening sweet or completely full of butter.  Whoever came up with making this flour/milk thickener for frosting is a genius!  Thank you!

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Better than Anything Cupcakes

This recipe can easily be doubled and will make 30-32 cupcakes.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 48 minutes

Servings 14 -15 cupcakes

Author Garnish & Glaze

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel topping
• 1 recipe Baker's Frosting recipe below
• 1/4 cup Heath English Toffee bits

Instructions

• Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine cocoa power and water. Set aside
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter. With an electric mixer, beat in sugar at medium-low speed until butter has cooled (about 4 minutes).
• Beat in 1 egg at a time (scrap sides of bowl as needed). Next, add vanilla and chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
• Mix on low, alternately adding flour mixture and sour cream in two batches mixing between adding each until just combined.
• Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick come out clean.
• Immediately remove cupcakes from tin and place on a cooling rack that is resting on a cookie sheet (or something to catch drippings).
• Using a fork or skewer, poke lots of holes into the top of each cupcake. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over cupcakes (this has to be done when the cupcakes are warm), followed by the caramel topping.
• Allow cupcakes to cool completely and then pipe on Baker's Frosting (I used a closed start tip). Sprinkle frosting with Heath.

Notes

Recipe Source: Garnish & Glaze original recipe (though cake part is slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Devil's Food Cupcakes)

(The nutrition facts for the cupcakes were calculated assuming the entire recipe of frosting is used even though that may not always be the case.  The nutrition facts do not take into account sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch caramel sauce that drips off the cupcake and is not consumed so therefore the calories, fat, carbs… are actually less than calculated.)

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Baker's Frosting

The perfect butter cream frosting that isn't sickening sweet.

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 2 minutes

Author Garnish & Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar NOT powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

• In a small sauce pan, mix milk and flour and heat over medium heat, stiring constantly until thickened. Allow to cool completely in the fridge (it helps to put it in a shallow container).
• In a standing electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the milk mixture and beat for 5-10 minutes until fluffy (it takes awhile for it to come together). Sugar should be completely dissolved when it is done.
• Spread or pipe onto cake or cupcakes.