Sticky Toffee & Walnut Cupcake.

Good morning and a happy Friday to you all! 

Cupcakes always have a place in my heart and someday opening my very own cupcake bakery or just a bakery on its own (but selling cupcakes) will be a dream come true! I love experimenting with flavours, so I chose the classic sticky toffee pudding added some walnuts and created this scrumptious tasting cupcake... 

Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

70ml water 

290g pitted dates, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 

130g unsalted butter, softened 

240g brown sugar 

290g self-raising flour

1 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

3 large eggs 

145g walnuts, chopped 

200g cream cheese 

200g unsalted butter, softened 

500g icing sugar, sifted 

120g Dulce de leche or soft caramel 

(or make you own by boiling a can of sweetened 

condensed milk submerged in water for 3 hours) 

Handful of walnuts for decoration 

Method: 

To make the cupcakes 

1. Preheat the oven to 175- degrees Celsius/ gas mark 4. Prepare muffins trays by inserting cupcake liners. 
2. Place the chopped dates into a mixing bowl and over the boiling water and leave to soak for around 20 minutes. 
3. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. 
4. Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a separate bowl and set aside. 
5. Whisk the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time until well incorporated. If the batter begins to separate or curdle, stop adding the eggs and add 2-3 tablespoons of flour. 
6. Once the dates are soaked, drain and gently break them up into smaller pieces. Then add the vanilla extract to the dates. 
7. Once all the eggs have been added, fold in the remaining flour using a spatula followed by the soaked dates and chopped walnuts. 
8. Fill your cupcake liners using an ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon measure until they are two-thirds full. 
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted it comes out clean. 

For the frosting
1. Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. 
2. Place the butter and icing sugar in a separate bowl and cream together until very pale and fluffy. 
3. Add the cream cheese, a little at a time to the butter mixture and mix together on a medium-high speed until the frosting is combined. 
4. Add the dulce de leche or homemade caramel and chill until set. 
5. Then pipe onto your baked cupcakes and top with a walnut or a another decoration your heart desires. 

Enjoy! 
Molly x