Heat the caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of water (45ml) over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat and cook the caramel (without stirring) for 2 to 3 minutes, watching al the time. The caramel should be evenly golden, shake the saucepan if it is colouring irregularly.
Remove the pan from the heat immediately you have achieved golden and add the cream, CAUTION it will splutter a bit so be very careful.
Add the vanilla Extract and the salt, mix well. Taste and adjust saltiness to your liking.
Let cool completely, it will thicken up as it cools
Beat your butter on its own until light and fluffy.
Add your icing sugar carefully to the butter, fold in as much icing sugar as you can before beating to combine, otherwise you will have a sugar dust cloud that will take ages to clear up.
Add your teaspoon of boiling water and half the salted caramel, combine well
Cream your butter and sugar together really well, this can take a while especially if your butter has not come up to room temperature fully. Use a hand whisk if you have one, the colour of the mixture should be really pale and it should be soft and fluffy. Just keep going if you are unsure.
Put your oven on now at 170C Fan or 190C other
Whisk your eggs together in a separate bowl, add your vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon (15ml) of milk, mix well.
Mix your self raising flour and baking powder together then sieve into a separate bowl.
Dust your small fudge pieces in flour (if you don't they may sink to the bottom)
Add your beaten egg, milk and vanilla mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to your butter and sugar mixture and beat really well until each tablespoon of egg is full incorporated. I take a long time to do this bit because if you incorporate the egg well, your mixture will not curdle.
Now very carefully fold the flour into your cake mixture
Fill your cupcake case 2/3 full of batter. This is where an ice cream scoop can come in handy.
Sprinkle your fudge evenly over the top of the cupcakes
Put in the oven for 15 to 16 minutes. They are ready when you press the top of them and they bounce back.
When your cupcakes have cooled (about 30 minutes) use your cupcake corer to remove a small piece of cake or, Using a knife Simply cut the center of your cupcake out by inserting your knife at a 45 degree angle. You will cut out a “cone” of cupcake. Now you can discard that little bit of cupcake
Fill your cupcakes with salted caramel
Prepare a piping bag with the nozzle of your choice, fill with with your buttercream and pipe a lovely luscious swirl of velvety buttercream on each cupcake. Finish with sprinkles of your choice.
12 servings
1