Caramel Cupcakes - Inspired by "The Help"

So, I’ve been a little M.I.A. from my blog lately and it’s all because of the book, “The Help”. Have you read it yet? If you haven’t, you should because it is especially good. At any given point I have 3-4 books on my nightstand that I rotate through, so it usually takes me a while to get through an entire book. But not this book—once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down! I ended up “binge-reading” it in just a few nights.

I believe a new classic has been born here with Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help”. I can see this book being taught in schools right alongside another one of my favorites, “To Kill a Mocking Bird”. The three women who take turns narrating each chapter of “The Help”; good-hearted Aibileen, sassy and hot-tempered Minny, and budding idealist Miss Skeeter do so in such separate and distinct voices. The stories each person tells gives an insiders’ view of what it’s like to live in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi for both African American maids and the white women they work for.  

Food was talked about frequently in the book, especially Minny’s Caramel Cake. This is how it’s described:

           

Minny near bout the best cook in Hinds County, maybe even all a Mississippi.  The Junior League Benefit come around ever fall and they be wanting her to make ten caramel cakes to auction off.  She ought a be the most sought-after help in the state.

After reading that excerpt I immediately started an image search (when searching for a recipe I always do an image search, because after all we eat with our eyes first, right?) on Google for caramel cake. This cake seemed a little old fashioned for me, so I decided to bring it into the 21^st century by turning them into cupcake, because seriously…who doesn’t like cupcakes?!? These cupcakes were out of this world! I’d eat either the frosting or the cake on their own…but together they are a match made in heaven!! I think these cupcakes would be amazing during the fall, especially with maybe a little cinnamon apple mixed into the filling…can you say Ah-mazing! 

Caramel Cupcakes – Inspired by the book The Help

For the Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

2 C plus 2 T sifted cake flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 C buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare the cupcake tin with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition until just incorporated.

Fill each cupcake tin ¾ full (I used my favorite scoop to make the job easier).

Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, and then place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely, about 30-45 minutes.

When cupcakes are cool, use a paring knife to cut a chunk out of the center of the cupcake. 

Do ahead: Cake (before glazing) can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 20 cupcakes.

Source: cake adapted from this recipe

For the Caramel Icing:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1 stick of butter
3/4 C milk
1 t vanilla

Directions:

Melt 1/2 cup of sugar in iron skillet slowly, until brown and runny(this took me about 15-20 minutes).

The sugar finally starting to melt

The sugar all melted

Mix egg, butter, remaining sugar, and milk in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until butter melts. Turn the heat up to medium and add the browned sugar. Cook until it reaches the soft ball stage, 235°F. This will take about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and add vanilla.

Beat with a hand beater to whip air into the mixture and cool it down. Beat until right consistency to spread, this took about 7-8 minutes. If it gets too thick beat in a little cream to thin it out.

This is the consistancy I beat the icing to

Fill & frost the cupcakes. I found that using my trusty 1 ½ tablespoon scoop made the job SO much easier and less of a mess.

Let the Icing set for about 20-30 minutes (if you can wait that long…I sure couldn’t!) and then enjoy!

Can you tell I couldn't wait until the icing was set? I just couldn't help myself!

Makes enough icing to cover a 2-layer cake or 20 cupcakes

Source: Adapted from Kathryn Stockett’s (the author of The Help) website

I’m linking this post up at:

Metamorphosis Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Skip to My Lou

Tip Me Tuesday

Today’s Creative Blog

Melt 1/2 cup of sugar in iron skillet slowly, until brown and runny(this took me about 15-20 minutes).