Caramel Frosting

I have some frosting to share that will rock your world.  I'm not kidding you.

Step 1: Make cupcakes.  Any flavor will do.  I've tried it on both pumpkin cupcakes and vanilla with chocolate chips.  Equally delicious.

Step 2: Make the most delicious salted caramel frosting EVER!

Yes, I said salted caramel.  You can thank me by sending me samples of the goodness you create with it.  I'll eat it in the front lawn to prevent my house from getting contaminated with crumbs or my jealousy that you get to bake with flours full of gluten.  And because some of my beloved readers have to avoid dairy, I've included what to use to indulge in this treat free from cow.  You're welcome.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 T water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 sticks butter or 1 cup palm shortening
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar

In a pan, stir together sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Let it boil WITHOUT TOUCHING IT until it turns a dark amber color.  Sorry I yelled at you, you just don't want to disturb caramel while it is coming into all it's glory.  It messes it up.  Do you need some pictures to help you with this step?  Here you go.  See, I told you I love you all.

Before (when you are allowed to stir it)

The color you're shooting for

 Be patient and let it get nice and lovely colored.  If you take it off too soon it won't taste like caramel.  Slowly add your cream and vanilla into your caramel.  Don't do it the other way around.  Trust me.  You will end up with a ball of hardened caramel floating in your heavy cream.  Stir it until it's nice and smooth.  Then transfer it to a separate bowl to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Resist the urge to taste test it several times.  Just once will suffice.

With your mixer, beat the living daylights out of your two sticks of softened butter and salt.  For real.  Don't just beat them until they are mixed together, really do it for about 5 minutes.  You want to beat air into your butter, that's what will make it all smooth and amazingly delicious and fluffy.  Then add your powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Again, beat it a lot.

Once your caramel has cooled, pour it into your frosting and beat it on high until it's really well incorporated.  If you were too antsy and did this before your caramel was cool, you now have melted butter on your hands.  Melted butter does not equal delicious frosting.

Your end result

Put your frosting in a ziplock bag and cut a little piece of the bottom corner off.  Swirl your frosting onto your cupcakes.  I promise it's easier to do this way then to try to spread it on with a spatula.  And it looks so much prettier!  You family will be so impressed.  That is unless you plan on hiding them on top of the fridge to eat during naptime only.  You will receive no judgment from me on that one.

I made this particular batch to take to a dinner with friends.  I then realized I had already boxed up my cupcake transporter (yes, I have such a thing), and had to go digging through a box to get it out.  Thankfully, I label my boxes.  My little helpers thought this part was all kinds of fun.

I'm not sure what Evelyn is doing with her face there.

Then I had to proceed to pack a dinner for Evelyn to take with us.  I opened her lunchbox knowing that she had told me not to worry because she had already packed it.  Disturbing much?

Let's take an inventory...

• 2 teacups = not weird
• horses to play with = totally expected
• a doll's leg....wait...what?!?!  Who packs a leg in their lunch box!!  Strange-ola child. 

On that note, go make some cupcakes.