Salted Caramel Cupcake RECIPE!

SALTED CARAMEL
Yellow Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and lightly flour 2 round cake pans or 1 bread loaf pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Add butter and shortening, milk and vanilla or lemon extract.
4. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape bowl down. Stir in eggs. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans or about 45 minutes for loaf pan or until cake tests done when a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before running a butter knife along edges to release cake from pan.
7. Take caramel and soak the middle of the yellow cake. Top caramel soaked cake with White Italian Butter cream…

WHITE ITALIAN BUTTER CREAM

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 2/3 cup water
• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 2 2/3 cups shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just enough to dissolve the sugar. Heat to between 223 and 234 degrees F (106 to 112 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dripped from a spoon forms a soft thread. It should take 1 or 2 minutes.
2. When the sugar mixture has reached the thread stage, remove it from the heat and set aside. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer. When the whites can hold a stiff peak, pour in the sugar syrup in a thin stream while continuing to whip at medium speed. Be careful not to pour too quickly, or it will all end up at the bottom of the bowl. When the syrup is incorporated, continue to mix for 10 more minutes to allow it to cool. The egg whites will be fluffy and glossy.
3. Add pieces of cold butter one at a time to the egg whites and continue to whip at medium or low speed. Then do the same with the shortening. The buttercream will break down and look curdled, but keep mixing and it will come back together in about 10 minutes. When it comes back around, mix in the vanilla. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
4. To use after it has been refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature, then beat with a mixer before using. If cold, heat over a double boiler until you have liquid visible just around the edges. Beat with a mixer until smooth and fluffy before using. Add 1/3 cup of caramel to frosting.
5. After topping the cake with frosting, drizzle caramel on top and garnish with a pinch of sea salt.
6. ENJOY!!