The Cake Merchant

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

I’ve been on a bit of a salted caramel kick lately. And by a bit, I mean I have been making several batches of it and eating spoonfuls right out of the jar. In an effort to break my addiction, I used up some of the caramel sauce to make the buttercream that frosts these cupcakes. Somehow, I’ve just taken the addiction to a new level.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

The only thing better than salted caramel is combining it with a chocolate cupcake. And then topping it with more salted caramel. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could fill it with some more caramel sauce.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I used this recipe for salted caramel sauce. It makes more than you will need for a batch of the frosting, so feel free to be liberal with the drizzling.

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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

I’m a self-proclaimed coffee snob. I grind my own beans every morning for my cappuccino. I even drive 1/2 hour each way to get freshly roasted beans from my favorite local coffee shop, but when Starbucks first introduced their Salted Caramel Mocha, my disdain for corporate America went out the window. I found myself stopping there more often than I care to admit. In fact, it was Starbucks that introduced me to this sweet and salty revelation.

You can imagine my disappointment when I went there after the new year and I was turned away. “The Salted Caramel Mocha is seasonal,” said the barista. Seasonal? Salted caramel has a season? I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that caramel came from the vine. I thought sugar was always in season.

It was then that I knew I had to make my own salted caramel sauce. I vowed to make it often and put it on everything.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really isn’t very hard to make, and once you make your own, you’ll never go back to the store bought stuff. My only regret it that I didn’t try sooner.

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Blueberry Muffins Recipe

It’s been longer than I like since I have posted my last recipe. In fact, it’s been a while since I’ve baked at all. My “day job” has kept me on the road for the past couple of weeks, but even though I have been away from my oven, baking has been on my mind.

Every year for the past 3 years, my woodwind quintet has done a concert tour in Northern Colorado and Wyoming. Returning home is bittersweet for me. While it’s not easy living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks, I love traveling around and playing concerts with my friends. Being back in Texas means that school is starting again. It’s time to say goodbye to berries and peaches (boy, were there some good peaches in Colorado!) and say hello to apples and pumpkins.

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