Double Caramel Spice Cupcakes With Crumb Topping

I wanted a little taste of fall for dessert tonight, but didn’t want to rush the season too much with a flavor like pumpkin or pecan. I combined a spice cake mix with a fudgy-caramel old-fashioned icing recipe and a crumb topping. The result was Double Caramel Spice Cupcakes With Crumb Topping. The icing is like caramel-flavored fudge, and the crumb topping is like something you would find on apple pie. I also used caramel baking bits inside the cupcake batter, which makes it a double caramel recipe. I made 21 cupcakes about three hours ago, and half of them are already gone.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• store bought spice cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of water (not pictured)
• 1/3 cup oil
• caramel bits
• cupcake liners (I used some leftover candy corn liners from last year)

Old fashioned Caramel Icing (I found this recipe on the blog, A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn)

Part One

• 2 cups of sifted brown sugar (did not sift)
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1/2 cup cold milk

Part Two

• 1/4 cup hot milk
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar (did not sift)

Crumb Topping

• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 

• 

Instructions:

Follow the instructions on the cake mix box. First, I preheated the oven to 350. Then I combined the cake mix, water, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer. Next, I added the caramel bits. Pour the cake mix batter into the cupcake pan (use cupcake liners if you don’t want to scrub for an hour afterwards) with a heaping helping of cake batter in your silverware dinner spoon. Bake as directed on the box, then set aside to cool.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Now for the icing. Mix the ingredients in part one, then set aside. Place the ingredients in part two into a sauce pan, on medium heat. You will need a candy thermometer for this part. If you have the clip on kind, make sure your thermometer is measuring the temperature of your caramel and not reading the temperature of the bottom of your pot. You want your caramel to reach 235 degrees. I usually let my temp get a little bit above this, because the soft ball stage is actually between 235 and 245 degrees. Learn to watch the changes in your caramel, even if you are using a thermometer. As your caramel reaches the soft ball stage, the bubbling will calm down, and the caramel will get darker-just like your skillet calms down (when you are frying something in oil) once the item inside is cooked.

• 

• 

Pour the hot caramel sauce into the ingredients you mixed together in part one. Combine with a mixer. Much like fudge, your mixture will get thicker as it cools. Pour it over the cupcakes before it gets too stiff, using the silverware spoon again. I forgot to get a picture of the icing before I added the crumb topping. Sorry-I was in the zone.

• 

• 

The crumb topping is like a jewel in the crown of these fudgy caramel spice cupcakes. “Apple Crumb Topping” is a recipe my mother-in-law gave me. I usually use it, or an oatmeal one I have for cobbler or Apple Brown Betty. Mix your butter, sugar, and flour until crumbly. Normally you would put it on top of whatever you’re baking. However, my cupcakes were already baked and iced. So, I put my crumble on a cookie pan and baked it at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch it carefully; it burns easily. Crumble it up even more, onto the cupcakes. They’re all finished! You can eat your cupcake while the icing is warm, or let it cool. The choice is yours.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I hope you enjoyed hanging out in my little cottage kitchen today. Fall baking season is just around the corner. It’s going to be fun!

Blessings,

Kristie

This post was featured on: Classy Flamingo Blog party, Encouraging Hearts and Home, What’s For Dinner

Linking up here

If you liked this post, subscribe to Love My Little Cottage here