Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Milky Way Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe for a Milky Way cake in a long, lost idea folder that I used to keep. I was really curious about how it would turn out so I decided to make it for my birthday cake!

It was originally a layer cake but I decided to make cupcakes because cupcakes are the new cake! Don't you agree?

I hadn't made a cake from scratch for probably 7 years! I'm just never in love with cakes made from scratch. And this cake was no exception. It was a little dry and crumbly. Am I alone here? Maybe I just haven't found "the one."

You know who I have just learned to relate to with this cake? Those weird people who say that the frosting is too sweet. I have never met a frosting that was too sweet until I met this one. Don't get me wrong! It was delicious, but it was "make your fillings hurt" sweet. I was glad that I had some vanilla ice cream on hand to kind of mellow out the sweetness.

Will I make this again? Probably not, but a thin layer of the frosting would be great on some sort of apple cinnamon roll. Wheels are turning......



Milky Way Cake with Caramel Buttercream Frosting


Cake:
3 (2.05-oz) Milky Way candy bars
2 TBSP + 1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Frosting:
50 caramels
1/2 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish:
Chocolate candy coating (optional)

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt candy bars ad 2 TBSP milk over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 30 seconds and scraping bowl with spatula after each addition. Beat in melted candy bars. On low speed, beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture and 3/4 cup milk, scraping down the side of bowl. Beat in remaining flour mixture and milk. Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake holders. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Frosting: In medium saucepan, melt caramels over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Remove from heat: let cool to room temperature, 1 hour.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until blended. On medium-high, beat 3 minutes. Beat in caramel mixture and beat 2 minutes more, until light and fluffy.

4. Spoon frosting in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cut tip off and frost tops of cupcakes.

5. Garnish: Put a layer of wax paper on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Melt chocolate candy coating in a small resealable plastic bag in microwave. Cut a tiny hole in corner of the bag. Make designs with the chocolate on wax paper, place in fridge until hardened and then garnish the cupcakes with your designs.


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23 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you didn't like the cake much, but these cupcakes certainly look fabulous! Love the way you decorated them!

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  2. Love that fancy schmancy chocolate on top...

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  3. wow! so artsy looking! I love the circular chocolate design.
    SO BEAUTIFUL!

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  4. They look so perfect! Too bad they didn't taste as good. I was looking for perfection because my favorite candy bar is Milky Way. I don't like a dry cake either.

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  5. I love Milky ways too Barbara! I just had to be honest....they were good, but not GREAT!

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  6. These cupcakes look so cute! Great job!

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  7. I dont know who to slap first - me for reading this or me for not slapping you - hello is it your birthday? HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELODY. you are the funniest for making the prettiest and coolest baddest tastingist cupcakes in the land. How can they taste so bad yet look so good, each with their own unique mardi gras, new orleans style wrought iron chocolate thingy garnishing their every move. You tell me?

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  8. Well...they are so beautiful! We have a recipe for an easy version of this...but it always falls.

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  9. Dog: As you know, having worked in fashion, that image is everything. I just kept having hope that when the whole product came together that it would be AMAZING! Not so much.....but, thanks for the birthday wishes!

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  10. Heck even if the cake didn't taste as great they sure looked fantastic! I love the chocolate garnish!

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  11. Wow these look so delicious. I love the chocolate design on top of the cupcakes.

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  12. Wow, those look amazing! Before becoming diabetic, milky ways were my favorite candy and I'd always go through my daughters halloween candy and take them all! :D

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  13. I love making chocolate garnishes like those :) I haven't done it for a while, maybe it's time.

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  14. Too bad you didnt like the "cake"
    We can just sit down and have the frosting!!
    Uh yeah, isnt frosting supposed to be sweet???
    Butte and sugar=sweet..ohhhh yes indeed!!!

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  15. You poor thing! You had to make your own birthday cake? Sounds like something my mom would do. She's the cake decorator of the family so she makes everyone's cakes, including her own. Your cupcakes look sinfully delicious by the way!

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  16. I love the garnish! How fun :)

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  17. Love the chocolate garnishes. HOw fun!

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  18. they are dang pretty, i love the fancy candy garnish, i need to try that!

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  19. Happy Belated Birthday! The cupcakes look so pretty! I'm sorry you weren't crazy about them. The frosting does sound yummy. I have been adding sour cream to all my cake recipes and it seems to help a lot with the moistness - 1 cup for a regular cake.

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  20. Whatever it lacks in flavor it sure makes up for in sheer beauty! What a great looking cupcake! Happy Birthday!

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  21. Thanks every one for the birthday wishes! I really did have a good day!

    Reeni: I will definitely give the sour cream trick a try next time I attempt a cake from scratch again. Thanks for the tip!

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  22. Okay, LOVE your garnishes. Very cool! It's touches like those that make things special. Bummer about not really liking these cupcakes.

    Happy birthday!
    ~ingrid

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  23. Cupcakes are definitely the "new cake" and these look awesome. Love the chocolate on top! Sorry they weren't as good as they look. Love that idea for the chocolate on top though! I have to "teach" a baking class for enrichment in Nov. and that looks like a good idea to share just as a way to make goodies look better!

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