Whipped buttercream – Feasting Is Fun

The popularity of cupcakes, since their meteoric rise to stardom, has not waned. While Pinterest has thousands upon thousands of boards dedicated to these individual portion sized cakes. And if you type cupcake recipes into the browser on your computer/phone/tablet you will find endless recipes, for every type of cupcake you could ever want. Or so I thought! While there are recipes for Caramac cupcakes, there aren’t any Caramac and chocolate combinations. Resulting in the creation of these Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes.

FF Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes — Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes.

What Is Caramac?

Caramac in itself is a lightly caramel flavoured white chocolate. While it is completely delicious, it tends to be rather sweet. Combining Caramac frosting with a dark chocolate cupcake balances both flavours out. Similarly, with the drizzle. And the bitter dark chocolate is enhanced by the sweet caramel from the Caramac. Resultying in a perfect flavour combination.

Delicious and very more-ish. So, could you stop at one?

Pretty, individual portions of caramel and chocolate in a cake. These cupcakes are elegant enough to be served for dessert, or alternatively, handed around at a party.

Recipe: Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes make 18

For the cupcakes:

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

1/8tsp Sea Salt – I use Maldon

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

3 Large Ree Range Eggs

150g/5.5oz Plain White Flour

1.5tsp Baking Powder

30g/2.2oz Cocoa Powder – I use Callebaut

3tbsp Milk – whole or semi-skimmed

For the frosting:

275g/10oz Icing Sugar

125g/5oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

1/4tsp Sea Salt Flakes

2tbsp Very Hot Water from a recently boiled kettle

110g Packet Caramac Buttons

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

For the drizzle:

110g Packet Caramac Buttons

100g/4oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids – choppedinto small chunks

Preheat oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

Making The Chocolate Cupcake Batter

You will need two, deep, 12 hole cupcake/muffin tins. Line one tin completely with cupcake cases and the central 6 holes in the other with cupcake cases.

First of all, in a large bowl add butter, caster sugar and sea salt. Whisk together until pale and creamy.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Then add the milk.
Whisk together until just combined. The chocolate colour should be uniform and no streaks or lumps present.
Scoop a heaped dessert spoonful of cake batter into each cupcake case. Do not worry if the batter doesn’t fill 18 cupcake cases. Mine stretched to 17. Most importantly, each cupcake case should contain equal amounts of cake batter.

Baking The Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

Place both cupcake tins, evenly spaced, into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
The cupcakes are baked when they are risen and spring back from a light touch.
As soon as the cupcakes are baked, remove from the oven.

Leave the cupcakes to cool for a couple of minutes in the tin, then remove and place them on to a cooling rack to fully cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream.

Making And Piping The Caramac Frosting

Place the Caramac buttons into a heatproof, microwaveable bowl. Heat for 20 second bursts, stirring between each one. Remove from the microwave once the Caramac is completely melted.
Into a large bowl add the softened butter, salt and icing sugar. Whisk, adding the hot water whilst the beaters are whisking. Continue whisking until the buttercream is combined, yet still thick in consistency.
Finally, add the melted Caramac to the bowl and keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, light and creamy.
Into a large piping base fitted with a 1cm round nozzle tip ( I use Wilton number 12 carded round tip ), add the whipped Caramac buttercream.
Using both hands to guide, pipe a double swirl. Start in the centre of the cupcake, pipe one swirl, then pipe a second swirl on top. Press the nozzle down into the centre and pull away. Practice on a sheet of parchment paper first and then scrape the buttercream back into the piping bag.

While the frosting on the cupcakes sets, prepare the chocolate and Caramac drizzle.

Adding The Caramac And Chocolate Drizzle

Into separate heatproof, microwaveable bowls place the Caramac buttons and then the dark chocolate chunks.
Prepare 2 small, disposable piping bags, as seen in the photo. Open up each bag and place into a small tumbler, ensuring the edge of the bag folds over the side of the glass. Doing so makes pouring the melted chocolate/Caramac into the bags easy and reduces the risk of burning yourself with hot, melted chocolate.
Heat the chocolate and Caramac as for the frosting, stirring between each 20 second burst in the microwave. Once melted pour into the prepared piping bag.
Starting with the Caramac, twist the top of the bag and then snip the end of the bag off, leaving a small hole.
Pipe melted Caramac on to each cupcake using a zigzag pattern. Since this is a drizzle, melted Caramac (and also chocolate) can go over the sides of the frosting on to the cupcake.
Repeat the same process using the dark chocolate.

No two cupcakes will look identical, don’t worry! Rather, each cupcake’s individuality is part of its appeal and charm.

Place the cupcakes somewhere cool to set. During warmer months pop in the fridge for a few minutes.

Cupcakes Are Made For Sharing

So, why not invite friends over and serve these cupcakes with a smile and a hot drink? Alternatively, package some up in a box and take to work to share with your colleagues. Since these cupcakes are so delicious, it really would be a shame not to share them.

Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days. During very warm weather store in the refrigerator.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes you may also like these:

Black Forest Cupcakes

Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes

Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Since the flavour combinations are virtually endless and each cupcake is an individual portion size, it is easy to see how they have remained so popular. In addition, each cupcake, especially when homemade, is unique. Also, they are just so pretty. Whether embellished with sprinkles, drizzles, little figures, flowers or simply piped with buttercream, the appeal of having a cake all to ourselves is such fun. Resulting in the perfect feast.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this blog post may be copied or reproduced without the specific written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy .

Happy holidays to all of my lovely readers of Feasting Is Fun. Today’s recipe for Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes topped with mini gingerbread men, I hope will excite you and add some festive cheer to your day.

Is anyone else else excited about Christmas? For me a large part of the fun of Christmas is in the build up. Getting the children to write Christmas lists, putting up decorations and ordering our turkey and ham from Graig Farm. Finally making the Christmas cake, yet knowing it can’t be eaten until Christmas Day is always hard on certain members of the family. So, I baked these Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes. Perfect festive sweet treats to enjoy, during the build up to the big day!

Warning, the frosting on these cupcakes is truly addictive! Because it really, REALLY, tastes of gingerbread and once you’ve tasted it I can guarantee that you will want more. And so, in order to provide balance, the cupcake itself is only lightly spiced with ginger. The final combination of both cake and frosting is absolutely perfect. Warming, sweet and not heavy, these really are the perfect festive, sweet treat.

A single small, spiced, festive individual cake with two candles alight behind it. — Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Because these cupcakes are so yummy, they disappear very quickly. Always a good sign when everyone in the family absolutely loves them. And I have a feeling that making these may well become a Christmas tradition like so many other things have, in our home.

Christmas Traditions

Traditions include, decorations going up on December 1st, making mince pies then giving them to our neighbours whilst carol singing and cooking the ham on Christmas Eve. Also, tracking Santa Claus’ schedule, whilst munching on cheese straws and playing cards, have all become Christmas traditions. Each as important as putting out a drink, mince pie and carrot, before bed, on the night before Christmas.

Three festive spiced individual sponges topped with spiced whipped buttercream and a little man. — Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Each of the traditions has crept upon us, unplanned. If something has been done two years in a row, the children automatically dictate that it is now a tradition. So, this year, I think I will make some Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes to hand out whilst carol singing, alongside the warm mince pies. We are blessed to call our neighbours friends, so sharing homemade goodies with them, whilst they listen to our singing is always fun!

Do you have family traditions at Christmas? I’d love to hear about them.

Recipe: Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes makes 12

For the cupcakes:

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter softened

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

3 Large Eggs – I use free range

1/8tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

2tsp Baking Powder

175g/6oz Plain White Flour

1tsp Ground Ginger

For the frosting:

500g/1lb 2oz Gingerbread Natural Flavoured Icing Sugar from Sugar and Crumbs

alternatively use the same quantity regular icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and add 2tsp of ground ginger

250g/9oz Unsalted Butter softened

2tbsp Very Hot Water

Mini Gingerbread Men (made by Culpitt) and White Edible Glitter to decorate both available online from Amazon.

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

Making and baking the cupcakes:

First of all, line a cupcake tin with 12 deep cupcake/muffin cases
Next, in a large bowl add the butter, sugar and salt. Whisk, gradually increasing the speed, until pale and creamy.
Now add the vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated.
Into the bowl add the eggs and sift in the flour, baking powder and ground ginger. Then mix together until just combined. Over mixing can result in a tough, not light and airy, cupcake.
Spoon the cake batter into the cupcake cases, taking care to ensure that they are evenly filled.
Place the tin into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Once baked each cupcake will spring back from a light touch. The cupcakes will be soft and fairly pale, this is because they have been cooked at a low heat to ensure a flat top.
As soon as the cupcakes are baked from the oven. Carefully take each cupcake out of the tin and place on a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

Making the frosting and decorating the cupcakes:

So, to make the icing; place the softened butter into a large bowl and sift the icing sugar on top of it. Next add 2 tablespoons of very hot water from a recently boiled kettle. Whisk, starting on a very slow speed and gradually increasing to a high speed. Continue until the icing is very light and creamy.
Fit an icing bag with a Wilton round piping tip #12, or use a large disposable piping bag. Fill the bag with the whipped, gingerbread frosting. If using a disposable bag without a tip, snip off the end to leave a 7mm diameter hole – approximately.
Check the cupcakes to ensure they are completely cooled, then begin piping the frosting. Keeping an even pressure on the bag pipe a double swirl. One on top of the other, pressing down in the centre before pulling away at the end.
Continue piping until all of the cupcakes are frosted.
Place a gingerbread man or woman in the centre of the frosting.
Finally, finish by sprinkling each cupcake with a dusting of edible glitter.

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 4 days, however, you’ll be lucky if they last that long, unless you hide them 😉.

Individual spiced sponge cut through to show inner crumb. — Light and fluffy cupcake sponge.

Serve each cupcake with a smile.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes here are some other festive recipe you may like:

Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cookies

FF Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes — Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cookies

Sparkling Snowflake Cake

Cream Cheese Pastry Mince Pies

While it is nice enjoying the build up to Christmas Day, the excitement of children, unexpected guests, the hope of snow, it is also important to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

A baby boy, born of a virgin mother, Emmanuel – God with us. Jesus may not have been born on December 25th, yet that is the day we choose to remember His birth. So, amongst all of the hustle and bustle surrounding Christmas, it is important to remember why we celebrate it. Please see Important Stuff for more information.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchen, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

Note – this is not a sponsored post. I genuinely love Sugar and Crumbs products. No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.