oh for the love of.....

dark chocolate cupcakes with caramel and sea salt frosting.

yep! my sweet tooth has won again.... and with no fail, another wonderful cupcake was created.

I have always loved the flavors of chocolate and caramel, but the past two years the added sea salt has been a mature experience for my palette. LOVE!

for the cupcake recipe I followed this one.

which is originally from Cook's Illustrated (march 2005)

but the frosting I make my own.

Caramel Frosting

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the butter and brown sugars in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and let the mixture return to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add about 11/4 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until the frosting is smooth. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, but not so much so that it thickens and hardens. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon.

then the added treat~ Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt and some dark chocolate shavings.

ENJOY!