I have a thing for cupcakes. Maybe because they are small? And salted caramel. Well because it's caramel and butter is involved.

I have a good friend, Carrie, who tells me all the time she doesn't like salted caramel. So if you're like her, you can make the caramel without the salt and it would be caramel buttercream!

I'm so glad to be working with Land O'Lakes again to bring you another recipe and because this one's a little special, I consider this a holiday recipe.

You can make your own caramel sauce or use store bought. If you use regular caramel, you can easily make it salted caramel by adding sea salt (to taste) to it.

Also, when I'm making these cupcakes, I usually put the cupcakes in the oven, make the salted caramel and then the buttercream but you can honestly make the caramel and the buttercream ahead of time, even a couple of days before!

Sift all of the dry ingredients, especially, the cocoa powder because it always has hard bits in it, except the salt. Mix together all of the dry ingredients with the salt.

Take two tablespoons of the dry ingredients and mix in with the chocolate chips ahead of time, then set aside. I do this so the chips don't sink…some still will but that's ok. Also, I use the miniature chocolate chips because the big ones…no matter what you do, they sink to the bottom of the cupcake!

Cream the butter and the sugar together.

Add eggs and mix.

Then, add the coffee, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and the milk. Once you mix it up, it will look curdled.

I always carefully add the dry ingredients in two or three batches and mix.

Add the chocolate chips.

And mix with a rubber spatula.

I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for these cupcakes.

And then bake at 350 degrees F for 16 to 18 minutes.

While those are baking, make your caramel sauce. Don't stir once you turn the heat on. You can pick up the pot and swirl around but don't stir.

Once they are an amber color…

Add the butter and whisk vigorously.

Then, add the heavy cream and whisk vigorously again.

Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and sea salt and mix together.

And now for the buttercream! I like to use both salted and unsalted Land O Lakes® butter for buttercream.

After mixing the butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. It's a regular ol' vanilla buttercream…

Until you pour in the salted caramel!

And there you have it!

Check out the short little instagram video I posted of frosting one of these cupcakes…below!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream yesssss! @landolakesktchn (thanks to @loveandoliveoil for the video help!) recipe ???? ???? http://littlekit.ch/choccupcakes

A video posted by Julie Deily (@thelittlekitchn) on Nov 3, 2015 at 3:52am PST

Cupcakes that I KNOW you'll love! A few friends taste tested for me and they really enjoyed them. Now time to make these for your next holiday get together! Stat!

Print

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 24 to 28 cupcakes

Ingredients

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter Stick 1/2 cup, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee cooled
• 3/4 cup milk

Salted Caramel

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream room temperature
• 1/2 Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter Stick 1/4 cup, cubed, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Salted Caramel Buttercream Icing

• 1 Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter Stick 1/2 cup, softened
• 1 Land O Lakes® Salted Butter Stick 1/2 cup, softened
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup salted caramel cooled

Instructions

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Sift cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix together with a large spatula in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Measure out mini chocolate chips, place in a small bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of the dry mixture and mix. Set said both bowls.
• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, on medium for 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through with a rubber spatula. Add eggs and mix for 2 minutes (scrape the bottoms and sides of the bowl). Add vanilla extract, vegetable oil, coffee and milk. Mix thoroughly for about 1 minute (batter will look curdled).
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches and mix together until they are combined (don’t over mix and don’t forget to scrape the bottoms and sides of the bowl). Add chocolate chip mixture and fold into the batter using a rubber spatula.
• Portion out 1/4 cup of cake batter into lined muffin tins. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes on 350 degrees F or when inserting a toothpick in a couple of cupcakes in the center comes out clean. Carefully remove cupcakes from the muffin tin and cool on wire cooling racks.

Salted Caramel

• Add 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a stainless steel pot (that has a heavy bottom and high sides). Mix to combine and then turn heat to medium high.
• Lift the pot and swirl but don't stir. Cook until the sugar turns to a caramel color, about 10 to 11 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't burn).
• Turn heat down to low. Add butter (it will be really hot so be careful) and whisk until thoroughly combined. Again, being careful, add heavy cream and whisk thoroughly.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and salt (add more if you like it even more salty) and whisk thoroughly. Allow to cool completely before putting into an airtight container and refrigerating.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• In your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened 1 Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter Stick and 1 Land O Lakes® Salted Butter Stick on low to medium speed. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended (it will look like a dough). Be careful, the powered sugar can go everywhere!
• Add salted caramel sauce and mix for about 3 to 4 minutes. I like to refrigerate my buttercream before using. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes (overnight even), just place on the kitchen counter for a little while before icing your cupcakes.
• Pipe buttercream over cupcakes using your favorite tip in a decorator/frosting bag. Drizzle leftover caramel sauce on top and serve!

Disclosure: The Little Kitchen has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversation blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

The post Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I'll admit before trying this recipe at home, I made tempura using the batter mixes from a box. It never tasted like what I'm used to at Japanese restaurants so I haven't tried it again since.

A couple of months ago, KitchenAid invited me to attend the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. I was so excited when they asked if I wanted to attend, it's an event they are a big sponsor of. And can you believe I have never been to Miami and I live in Florida? I jumped at the chance to attend the festival and go to Miami for the first time.

When I first arrived, I was trying to figure out where the entrance was. You see, this wine & food festival was on the beach! Then, I saw Ashley. I had met her last year at Food Blog Forum and she is as sweet as can be. I ended up hanging out with her, her husband and her friends. They are hilarious and so fun!

Then, we happened upon this huge sign and we became so excited!

I was oohing and ahhing over the KitchenAid appliances. Aren't those colors so fun??? I can't choose a favorite — love them all!

And those wall ovens, I wish wish my kitchen wasn't so small so I could have KitchenAid wall ovens!

It was Andrew Zimmern who showed us how to make tempura and showed us how EASY it is to make over at the KitchenAid demo stage.

He talked about how tempura is actually Portuguese not originally from Japan like everyone thinks. And I love this quote from him: “food is delicious but food with a story is even more delicious”.

I also saw cooking demos from Robert Irvine who I learned about grape seed oil from and Chef Michael Symon.

And then I proceeded to eat and eat and eat.

My favorites in the grand tasting tent were shrimp & grits and red velvet cakes!

This recipe is pure genius and so easy! Andrew talked about the importance of a cold batter — so he uses ice water and only makes the batter a little bit at a time. If you need more batter, then you make more. And he uses cake flour!! And you want lumpy batter, lumpy is good.

I set up a little station of veggies and shrimp all ready and prepped.

First get the veggies into some cake flour and then drop them into the batter.

And then fry these little puppies! It's amazing, they only take 2-4 minutes to fry up. Andrew (like how I'm calling him by his first name like I know him?) said if it takes longer than that to cook then you have cut your veggies too thick!

I don't know if I should be saying this but I will anyways, Curtis was giddy like a school girl for tempura. He doesn't like sushi and LOVES getting tempura when we go to Japanese restaurants. He's the one who suggested we do chicken too. This recipe is a total keeper! My favorite? The shrimp. Curtis' favorite — the broccoli. We will be making this again and soon!

I didn't make Andrew's dipping sauce which is more authentic but I plan to try it soon!

Print

Tempura Shrimp & Vegetables Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra large shrimp peeled with tail left on and deveined
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins
• zucchini sweet potato, potato (your favorite veggies), sliced thin
• broccoli cut into florets
• 6 cups canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup sesame oil don't use toasted sesame oil
• 3 cups cake flour plus some extra for dusting
• 3 eggs
• ice water
• club soda

Dipping Sauce

• low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 green onions sliced

Instructions

• Prep shrimp (Andrew Zimmern's advice is to make 3 shallow nicks or cuts on the bottom of the shrimp and gently flatten or pound the shrimp with the side of a knife to flatten), chicken and vegetables and place them in bowls for easy access when frying.
• Heat oils in a large pot or French oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and line with paper towels.
• Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cake flour to a shallow bowl and set aside.
• Beat an egg in a measuring cup and add ice and water to make 3/4 to 1 cup. Add to a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup cake flour. Mix with a pair of chopsticks or a butter knife. Batter will be lumpy, don't over stir. Add a tablespoon or two of club soda and quickly stir.
• One piece at a time, dip in the dry cake flour in the shallow bowl and then dip into the batter. Remove excess batter by shaking then add to hot oil, being very careful not to burn yourself. Fry about five to eight pieces at a time for about 2 to 4 minutes or until golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to turn them over when necessary and to remove them from the oil. Place on prepared baking sheet to allow excess oils to be removed.
• If you need more batter, make it as you need it (so that it remains ice cold for the entire time you're using it).
• Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

• Mix together soy sauce, ginger and green onions.

Notes

ever so slightly modified from Andrew Zimmern

Disclosure: Huge thanks to KitchenAid as I was a guest of theirs at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. All opinions expressed are always my own.

The post Tempura Shrimp & Vegetables appeared first on The Little Kitchen.