These salty, sweet cupcakes are perfect for a celebration.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
500
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
150 g unsalted butter, chopped
125 g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
100 g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
50 g soured cream
FOR THE MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
3 medium egg whites*
175 g granulated sugar
250 g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
125 g salted caramel sauce, plus extra to drizzle
Flaked sea salt, optional, to sprinkle
Directions
Step 1For the cupcakes, melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter turns golden with brown flecks and smells nutty (it will foam during cooking, so keep swirling the pan to check). Empty the butter into the bowl of a freestanding mixer or a large heatproof bowl and chill until solid.
Step 2Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4, and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Into a separate bowl, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Once the browned butter has solidified, add the sugar and beat (using a handheld electric whisk if not in a mixer) until pale and fluffy.
Step 3Gradually beat in the eggs, adding 1tbsp of the flour mixture if it looks like it might curdle. Add 1⁄2 the flour mixture and beat until almost combined. Scrape in the soured cream and beat briefly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 4Add the remaining flour mixture and beat briefly to combine. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases (they won’t be full) and bake for 15-18min, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (in their cases).
Step 5For the meringue buttercream, in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, using a handheld electric whisk, beat the egg whites and sugar until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved, about 5min. Scrape into the bowl of a freestanding mixer or continue with the bowl off the heat and the handheld electric whisk.
Step 6Beat on high for 10min, or until the meringue is thick and the outside of the bowl is completely cool. Gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition (it might look curdled but keep beating and it will come together). Once all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high for 4min. Beat in the salted caramel sauce, until combined.
Step 7Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe on to the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle over some extra salted caramel sauce and sprinkle over a few sea salt flakes, if you like.
TO STORE Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
*PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS AND THE ELDERLY ARE ADVISED TO EAT RAW/PARTIALLY COOKED EGGS ONLY IF THEY HAVE THE BRITISH LION STAMP
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
