Butterscotch Cupcakes

There's always something beautiful about cupcakes. Little cakes are so easy to make, a delightful treat for the children, and there are so many decorate-as-you-please options one would prefer to do. Look at Barbara's pink cupcakes; Deeba's Esspresso Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, and, see this? Aren't they gorgeous? How about Denise's? Superb with lime and coconut. I love the flavour!

My first decorated cupcakes somehow became popular in the groups when they were featured on one of national's Sundays newspapers in Indonesia in 2005 (which was a surprised because I have been living in New Zealand since 2002 and never read the paper, thus I don't keep the archive). I've tried to bake cupcakes in tea cups which were toffeed, I've made fancy cupcakes to participate on Daffodils Day, and now I am trying out these beautiful 'adult' cakes Donna Hay makes. Who can resist moist and smooth cupcakes with the creamy and caramel flavour topping for just a few time spending time in the kitchen with the pleasant tastes to go along the way? I can't. These cakes can also be enjoyed for dessert or for after-lunch/dinner coffee. Coffee goes well with butterscotch. Or, perhaps you can match it with your favorite drinks? There are unlimited options, really. I only decorated them with fresh cherries.

And, no they are not from the orchard. We have had bad, bad, bad cherry crops this year. From 4 cherry trees, none of them is producing. Well, yes, there were flowers in Spring and yes there were young fruits emerged when the flowers finished, but no crops, whatsoever. The tallest tree was bearing a clump of fruits but then was attacked by black aphids and we could not get the hang of it. We'll try again next year with better treatment. Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy cherries from our own orchard.

Butterscotch Cupcakes

Source: Donna Hay magazine.

250g (8 ¾ oz) butter, softened,
1 ½ cups brown sugar,
4 eggs,
2 ¼ cups plain (all-purpose) flour,
2 tsps baking powder,
1 cup (8 fl oz) milk

Caramel

25g (¾ oz) butter,
½ cup brown sugar,
½ cup (4 fl oz) (single or pouring) cream

Butterscotch cream

I found that Irish cream essence is quite pleasant for giving a hint of the butterscotch taste to replace the liqueur for us who don't/can't consume alcohol.

2 cups (16 fl oz) double (thick) cream,
3 Tbs butterscotch-flavoured liqueur

To make the caramel, plate the butter and sugar in a saucepan over high heat and stir until dissolved. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside and cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour and baking powder and beat until combined. Fold through the milk and spoon the mixture into two 12-hole ½-cup (4 fl oz) capacity muffin tins lined with paper patty cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks.

To make butterscotch cream, place the cream and liqueur in non-metallic bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Spread the butterscotch cream over the cupcakes with a palette knife and drizzle over the caramel. Makes 24.