Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

I love to bake.  I love everything about baking.  I love the measuring, the creativity, the smells, the happy faces of people when they eat my baked goods and I especially love the yummy noises that people make when eating my baked goods.  Oddly enough, I don't really like to eat a lot of baked goods.  I would prefer a big bowl of mashed potatoes (with real butter and cream of course) for dessert than a piece of cake.  In actuality I don't care much for cake, I'm more of a pastry girl.  There are a few cakes that can tempt me, like an angel food cake or a carrot cake or my coconut cupcakes.   That all being said, I'm not sure what prompted me to try this recipe last summer when I saw it on Joy The Baker but I did.  Unfortunately I loved them!  I say "unfortunately" because when you bake as often as I do, it is really much better if you don't enjoy eating all of the baked goodies.  

The woman blogging about this recipe (I can only assume her name is Joy) kept going on and on about how yummy the batter was and how fantastic these cupcakes are.  I guess I just really had to try them to see if they were all that.  Well....she didn't lie.  It's absolutely horrible how fabulous this batter is.  I really could eat it by the spoonful, luckily I have my children around to keep me in check but when they are not looking you better believe I'm eating the batter!  The cake portion of the recipe reminds me very much of a brown sugar pound cake only not so heavy.  They are delicious by themselves but once you've had the frosting you won't want the cake by itself.  My favorite frostings always contain cream cheese so there was no doubt in my mind I would love this one.  It is a standard cream cheese frosting with dulce de leche beat into it!  So fabulous!!!  You can spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and then drizzle with a little extra dulce de leche.  Heavenly!!!  Dulce de leche is a caramel-like sauce that is milk based and is so delicious!  If you've never purchased it before it is usually in the hispanic food section.  You can make it yourself using sweetened condensed milk but  it seemed like a lot of work for something I can just purchase already made for me.

These cupcakes are great year round but I think they would be especially great for a Cinco de Mayo party (or any party with margaritas)!  I baked these last weekend for a birthday party and made them into mini cupcakes instead.  Mini cupcakes are great when you have lots of desserts and everyone wants to have a little taste of each one.  

Let me know if you're having a party and I'll bring the cupcakes!!  ;)

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with liners. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugars.  Beat on medium speed until fluffy and pale brown, about 3 minutes.   Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add one egg.  Beat on medium for one minute.  Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute between each addition.  Stop the bowl and scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract.

Add half of the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture.  Beat on low speed and slowly drizzle in the buttermilk.  Beat until just incorporated.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and finish incorporating with a spatula.  Try not to over mix the mixture.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake pans, filling each liner about two thirds full.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.  Let rest in the cupcake pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cupcakes should be completely cooled before frosting.

If you make mini cupcakes bake for only 10 minutes.

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup dulce de leche, plus more for drizzling

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups powdered sugar

Place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, until very soft and pliable.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the butter and dulce de leche.  Beat on medium speed until well incorporated.  Stop the mixer and add the salt and powdered sugar.  Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color.  Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes.   Decorate cupcakes by drizzling with some of the leftover dulce de leche (which you heat until pourable).

Store in the refrigerator but let come close to room temperature before serving.

Adapted from joythebaker.com