Butterscotch Cupcakes

Light and moist vanilla cupcakes filled with homemade butterscotch sauce. Topped with a fluffy and creamy buttercream icing. To top it off, a sprinkle of Skor bits. It DOESN'T get any better than this !

This recipe is the current Food Network Community Challenge; a sweet concoction by Chef Ricardo Larrivée. I altered it as I went along and will share all the details below shortly !

One word: YUM !!

RECIPE as posted on the Food Network

Ricardo makes cupcakes even sweeter with homemade butterscotch and vanilla buttercream icing.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Butterscotch

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons Scotch (or other whisky)
• 1/4 cup 35% cream, hot
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Vanilla buttercream icing

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons 35% cream, hot

Directions

Cupcakes

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place paper or silicone liners in 9 or 12 muffin cups.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with the vanilla using an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is smooth. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Unmould and finish cooling on a rack.

Butterscotch

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Cook until the mixture turns golden-brown. Off the heat, add the Scotch, the cream and butter. Continue stirring until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

Vanilla buttercream icing

1. In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream in a thin stream and continue beating until smooth. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Using a apple corer or a melon baller, cut a pocket from the centre of each cupcake, removing about 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of cake without cutting through. Fill the pocket with 15 ml (1 tablespoon) butterscotch. Ice the cupcakes with the buttercream icing.

My Alterations:

• add 1/4 cup of full-fat sour cream to wet cupcake batter ingredients.
• add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract to wet cupcake batter ingredients.
• sift all dry ingredients before adding to wet ingredient.
• omit alcohol from filling.
• add 1/4 cup of cream cheese (at room temp) to icing.
• sprinkle iced cupcakes with Skor bits for a great sugary crunch.