salted carmel

For those of you who don't know, I LOVE blogs. I love gaining fun ideas and inspiration from others. The problem is now I subscribe to so many I can't keep count or remember how I even found the blog. The latter is the case for one of my new favorite blogs, Joys Hope. I needed to make some cupcakes for my friends baby shower and I came across her Salted Carmel Cupcakes and they were AMAZING!!!

One of the fun things about Julie (blog author) is she's from Orange County! 

Also, her husband was/is in the OC Supertones and I love them! 

Ah such a small world. 

Anyways, definitely check out her blog for some fun ideas and great stories.

Back to the cupcakes... seriously may be my new favorite. Here's the short version of how I made these (slightly different from Julie).

I made chocolate cupcakes from a box mix (gasp!). I actually do this sometimes when making it from scratch is just too much work for me (lazy). However, I add ingredients to the mix to make them even better. The Cake Doctor has a great cookbook that I use often. All of her recipes are made from box mixes, but are kicked up a notch. Here ya go...

Cupcakes-

Devil's food cake mix

3 tablespoons dutch process unsweetened powder

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

mix it up! 350 degrees 17-20 min.

Frosting-

1 stick unsalted butter (room temp, but not too soft)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. whole milk

pinch of salt

Cream butter & sugar; add milk, vanilla, & salt; mix until thick & creamy.

Salted Caramel- yummmmmmmm

Pour caramel into a measuring cup.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt per 8oz. of caramel.

Warm in the microwave for one minute.

Stir.

4-5 Heath or Skor bars smashed (i used a hammer... it was fun).

I waited till my cupcakes cooled, then used a melon baler and scooped out the middle and placed a spoonful of salted caramel in the cupcake and then put the piece back on. Then I frosted the cupcakes, dipped them in smashed up Heath bars and spooned a little more salted caramel on top. Ta-da!!! Enjoy the yummy goodness of these cupcakes.