Chocolate Cupcakes with Earl Grey Icing & Salted Caramel

I was challenge by one of my colleagues who one day had nothing to do at work went browsing for cupcake recipes. He found the recipe online here and was drooling at the picture. Like I've mention many many times before I'm one who prefers very straightforward recipes. I decided to take up the challenge since as mention by him this will prove my culinary skills although I felt like saying I have tried other more challenging recipes than making some mere cupcakes. Anyway there are 3 parts to this recipe, the cupcakes, the icing and finishing it off with the caramel topping. 

I've never use tea in any form of cooking as to me they are best enjoyed in a nice cup of china. So I was intrigued to try my hands on a earl grey icing. And another reason I do not make cupcakes very often is the fact that I'm not very good at decorating them with the icing to make them look pretty so whenever I see a cupcake recipe I usually end up making it into a whole cake instead. 

Cupcake Recipe:

3/4 cup (about 95g) plain/all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (about 170g) sugar (I used caster/superfine but white/granulated is fine too)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking/bicarb soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
85g (6 tbsp) butter, melted
6 tbsp (about 90ml) buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). 
• Line a standard cupcake tray with papers. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb soda, and salt; set aside. 
• With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 3 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensifies the chocolate flavor). 
• Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. 
• Whisk in flour mixture until smooth. Scoop (or spoon) batter into prepared papers, filling them about 3/4 full.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 
• Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Earl Grey Icing:

2 large egg whites
3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strongly brewed Earl Grey tea (I used 3 teabags/about 3 tsp loose leaf tea)

Method:

• Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl until foamy & thick, they should mound, but not peak.
• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, 1/4 cup Earl Grey tea & salt. 
• Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 117°C (242°F) and all sugar is dissolved. 
• Begin beating the egg whites again and slowly pour in boiling sugar syrup in a slow steam. 
• Continue to beat on high for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. 
• Add remaining tea by the tablespoon, beating after each addition.
• Continue beating until icing reaches desired consistency (it should hold its shape when piped and cooled), about 2 minutes.

Salted Caramel Topping:

2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Fleur de sel (or any other flaky sea salt)

Method:

• Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan, with a capacity of at least 2 or 3 quarts. 
• Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. You'll see that the sugar will begin to form clumps, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down.
• Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.
• Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber colour. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye. If you are using an instant-read thermometer, cook the sugar until it reaches 350 degrees F.
• As soon as the caramel reaches 350 degrees, add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added.

Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will once again bubble up ferociously.Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel and whisk to incorporate.Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into your favourite glass jar and let cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks. You'll want to warm the sauce up before using.







This is one of those recipes that I'll keep at the back of my archive shelf for a long time to come as it was a tedious and messy process. Although the cupcake itself was easy enough to make the icing was another ball game altogether. Because it was not a butter and icing sugar base it was not stiff enough and very "light" and "airy" due to the egg whites which makes my piping a lot harder. As for the caramel I burnt the first batch as I move away for just a few seconds to get the butter to add in, as mention in the method above not to do but silly me did not read that part. And oh my was drizzling it over the icing a very messy process, my daughter walk into the kitchen as I was doing it, saw the kitchen counter and exclaim "Mummy you have make an absolute mess!" I had caramel dripping from all sides of my cupcakes.


As for the taste test I must say that Earl grey is such a clever idea to add to flavor in baking, the icing tasted absolutely divine. After all the hard work I could sit with a cup of tea in my fine china and slowly devour the fruit of my labour.