Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

This week has totally tested my patience. We've had major house issues.

A few weeks back, our power kept cutting out. It was spooky. I'm talking ALL power flicking on and off. Plus I was home alone and was 100% freaking out that we had a ghost. Intense people, intense.

Anywho, a nice electrician came out to help us and all was well again. Until it cut out again a week later, only this time, it didn't just flicker, it just stayed off.

Being a weekend, we had to pay a fortune for someone to come fix it again. That person seemed super dodgy to me. They didn't know what they were doing, and they basically said that our little iron was tripping out the whole house. Ahhhh no. I'm sorry but that just doesn't happen.

Anywho, 12 hours later, IT CUT OUT AGAIN. We called the person all "you so didn't do your job" and they were all "not my problem". So we had to go 2 WHOLE DAYS WITHOUT POWER.

Now I'm all for kids going outside and not being so attached to their electronics. But I am not a kid. Do not take away my computer, TV or phone. Just don't do it. I struggled. I fought back the tears and tantrums. I survived.

The first thing I did upon receiving power? I made cupcakes. Because duh.

Intense, chocolatey, over the top bonkers cupcakes that have your daily intake of sugar.

They calm me.

Cupcake recipe adapted from Bakerella

Cupcakes 1 1/2 cups plain flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 1/3 cup sugar 1tsp baking soda 1/2tsp baking powder Pinch salt 2 eggs 1/3 cup oil Dash vanilla 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup hot water

Caramel 240g butter 2tbspn flour 1 cup brown sugar 2 egg yolks 1 cup milk Dash vanilla   Frosting 125g butter, softened 2 cups icing sugar 1/2 cup caramel

Line a cupcake tray with 24 liners. Preheat the oven to 180^o.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Be sure to sift the dry ingredients.

Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Add 2/3 cup hot water and mix. It will be very liquid.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Easier to transfer to a jug and pour into liners.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The cupcakes look very shiny when done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the caramel and frosting.

Caramel Filling

Melt 240g butter in a medium saucepan. When it has fully melted, stir in the flour, brown sugar, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Stir over medium heat until combined and thickened.

Leave to cool.

Caramel Frosting – Beat 125g butter, add ½ cup caramel, add icing sugar

Sift the icing sugar.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add the caramel and mix until evenly combined. Slowly add the sugar.

Scoop out the insides of each cupcake and add about 1/2 tablespoon of the caramel.

Pipe the frosting over the top!