Kuchnia

Ingredients

For Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup Cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

½ cups strong black coffee, hot

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract



For Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue buttercream

5 egg whites, room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 ½ cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup homemade salted caramel sauce

2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Sift together all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.

In a medium bowl, combine all the wet ingredients using a whisk.

Mix the dry ingredients on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the wet ingredients. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed and scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Mix for additional minute on medium speed.

The batter will be thin. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Cool cupcakes on wire racks completely. Meanwhile you could start on the frosting.

For Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes (using the whisk attachment). Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 6 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium and switch to the paddle attachment. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Mix the salted caramel into the buttercream.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in fridge for up to a week.