Pumpkin Cupcakes? Yes, please!

When I first saw the recipe for these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream I was intrigued!  I am a pumpkin fiend and salted caramel seems to be all the rage lately, so I whipped up a batch.  In the past, my from scratch cupcakes tended to be a bit dense, so I was curious to see how these turned out. 

They are divine!  The canned pumpkin keeps the cupcakes moist with a surprising bit of fluffiness that I wasn't expecting.  Together with the salted caramel...ahhhhh...Maaaazing (in the words of Penny from Happy Endings).

The salted caramel was surprisingly easy.  I've never made candy or caramel before, never watched for color change, or learned the difference between soft ball and whatever other terminology there is in the candy world.  It took me two tries to get the caramel right.  It's not difficult, you just have to watch it and I had to run off and chase the baby who had hijacked a present from under the tree.  I think the tip is to not let it get too dark; it will still cook a bit after you take it off the heat and add the cream and vanilla. 

I've made these a few times now and last night was the most recent.  I didn't have salted butter on hand, so I upped the salt in the recipe (I used some Himalayan salt I'd bought in Dubai) and tasted it to make sure it was right.  Best batch by FAR!  The salty to sweet ratio was perfect!  Unfortunately, that batch was sent to work with my husband. 

Verdict - DEFINITELY a yes!

 

Krissy