Baking 101: Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

My hibernation from the blogsphere stopped when Christmas songs are constantly playing everywhere. I realized that I have not posted anything since August.  My workload is preventing me from posting and cooking! Haha! Seriously, It was simply "no time to cook and experiment". Though there were days that I cooked, but was to tired to write about it. 

Since it's almost Christmas, I forced myself to cook...er bake. Every year, I am giving my office friends my homebaked goodies. This time, I whipped a new found recipe, which i am loving to the max, Dulce de Leche cupcakes. 

I can say that this cupcake is very close to us Pinoys. When you taste this, you'll be reminded of our favorite pinoy candy...the infamous yema.

To make this cupcake, you have to make Dulce de Leche by simmering a can of condensed milk over low fire for 2 hours. But I found out that when you simmer a can of milk, there's a tendency for it to explode. So, what I did is cooked it the yema way - opened the can, poured in a pan and simmer while continuously whisking it to prevent the bottom from burning. The problem was, I overcooked the poor milk and still did not achieve the dark golden color of Dulce. The milk became close to solid hehehe. So to make it thin and pourable again, I placed them under low fire and added water and continuously mixed them until the hardened milk melted, then the dark golden color was also achieved.

The dulce de leche was added to the buttercream and made the tast of the cing milky-caramel-y. Wondering if it's too sweet? All I can say is that it complemented well with the cake (the cake itself is not too sweet).

The cake? I don't know how to describe it, but it's dense ala pound cake, but soft. You know what I mean? And I really enjoyed eating the cuppies.  

   

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

(from JoytheBaker.com)

makes about 27 regular sized cupcakes

Cupcakes

3 cups All purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used the regular pour and drink milk)

For the Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter

8oz cream cheese

3/4 cups dulce de leche, plus more for topping

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups confectioners sugar

Dulce de Leche

2 cans of regular size condensed milk

Instructions

1. Prepare dulce de leche. Pour the milk in a saucepan and continuously mix it ove low fire until thickened but still pourable. Set aside then cool. You can prepare this a day before you bake the cupcakes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In another bowl, using a mixer (or a beater, if you have powerful arms) beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

5. Add 1 egg at a time, beating them for 1 minute after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

6. Add half of the flour mixture and slowly mixed them until incorporated. Add the milk. Add the rest of the flour mixture, then mix them until just combined.

7. Pour the batter into cupcake pans, about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. Cool the cupcakes in a wire rack completely before frosting. 

Frosting

1. Place butter in a bowl and beat using a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and dulce de leche and beat them together until smooth. Add the salt. Add the powdered sugar in batches, mixing well after each addition. 

2. Pipe the frosting or generously smear them onto the cooled cupcakes.

3. Drizzle or pop a small dollop of dulce de leche on top of the frosting.

Why not share this with your friends and love ones this Christmas?

Merry Christmas everyone! Love y'all!!!