Bakers Royale

Toffee Crunch Cupcake

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Toffee Crunch Cupcake with Caramel Frosting ~ Grab your toffee crunch in a cupcake crumb with a little caramel frosting dipped in some chocolate and rimmed with chocolate covered toffee bits.  Its  decadence meets gluttony-but should a cupcake be anything else but that?

Toffee Crunch Cupcake

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

If you haven’t noticed by now, I don’t have a subtle hand when it comes to cupcake decorating. I like my cupcakes loud, obnoxious, over stuffed, overfilled, and over frosted-basically over the top. Which is funny because that is totally the opposite of me?

When I say opposite, I’m not a loud a person, I’m about as a loud as 5 foot tall person and cat pieced together can be. I’m definitely not obnoxious, unless I’m playing Scrabble, then yes; I’m obnoxious and hate to lose to a word like qi. (And, Matt, if you’re reading, I still have never heard you or anyone for that matter use it or reference it unless it is to rack in some tiling points).

As for the over frosted-WAY not me. I’m so simplistic. My wardrobe consists of two pairs of beloved holey jeans, tank tops and flip flops, and a skirt here and there. For work it’s an unissued uniform. You will find me in a black dress, black cardigan and black heels. Really it’s not so bad; it’s a bit awkward at first that is until you explain to your boss, “Yes, I did go home. I just prefer to not to burn through my time worrying about things like whether or not my blouse matches my pants or if I just wore this outfit a week ago”. Aside from that I find shopping incredibly overrated. That is unless it’s for kitchen tools or food props . . . then by all means, Sur la Table and eBay are my money tossing addiction.

About the only thing I have in common with my loud cupcake is not being able to get enough of them. Seriously. I went a bit crazy this weekend baking after a full week of no-bake desserts.

So get ready for a serious week of eats!

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcake

  • 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon instant coffee granules (recommended: Starbucks Via)
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 1/2 cup chocolate covered toffee bits

Caramel Frosting

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 11/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup caramel sauce (click here for a homemade caramel recipe)

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

  • 2/3 cups dark chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5-8 tablespoons water, warm

Instructions

Preparation

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cupcake

In a large bowl, combine and mix together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add in butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the instant coffee granules and hot coffee, beat until batter is smooth, about 20-30 seconds. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Store and serve at room temperature.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

Caramel Frosting

  1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.
  2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume.
  3. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add caramel sauce and mix to combine.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside and let sauce cool to warm.

To assemble cupcake

To frost the cupcakes: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and start piping from the outside working in to the center to create one even layer. Freeze cupcakes for 20 minutes before dipping in warm chocolate sauce, so that the frosting does not melt. Remove cupcakes and dip in warm chocolate sauce, and then rim with chocolate covered toffee bits.  Return cupcakes to freezer for five minutes for chocolate to set. Remove from freezer and finish piping frosting on top.

Notes

A few notes:

  • The cupcake can be made a day in advance. For the frosting, use homemade caramel for a deeper flavor. For a quick and simple tutorial to making homemade caramel sauce click here. The frosting can be made seven days in advance and then brought to room temperature for piping consistency. The cupcake can be fully assembled the night before and refrigerated.
  • The cupcake flavor pairing and combination is mine. The chocolate cupcake portion is an Alice Medrich recipe. The adaptations I made: I added a half cup of hot coffee in place of the hot water portions. (Side note: last time I made this recipe I added Starbucks Via coffee to it. This time I wanted just a hint of the coffee something a little less strong that espresso granules). I also added a ½ cup of chocolate covered toffee bits (found in the baking section of the grocery store) into the batter.
  • As always, I highly recommend Scharffen Berger’s Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder. It’s the best on the market and will make a huge difference in your baking results in terms of flavor.

© Naomi Robinson | Bakers Royale
Category: Cupcakes

Comments

  27. Rachel @ Bakerita says

    My favorite bakery makes a cupcake just like this, but I’ve never thought to try and recreate it. Now I have the recipe! This looks so delicious, can’t wait to make them!

  31. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

    We could be twins! Well, except for the fact that I’m 6′ tall. And OK, maybe I’m not quiet. But…I LOVE this cupcake. You say toffee and I say Now?

    But really, it’s the little things. I have 6 pairs of identical black slacks. I don’t care to have to search all over creation for something long enough so once I found something online (and they’ll add 3 inches to the hem)that was it for me. Same thing. Everyday. Different tops maybe but even there I have sort of a uniform. T or turtleneck covered up with a man’s oxford shirt for work (at home) or a nicer something for meetings or going out. Makes life easier and not much of my life is easy. If I had to shop and worry about wardrobe I would have no time to cook. Now THAT would be a problem!

  33. Cupcakes says

    WOW … I cannot remember looking at more gorgeous cupcakes … those topping things you call obnoxious are what make them perfect … Not simply perfect, but big time perfect 😀

  35. Naomi says

    Barbara~My twin for sure! I love it. That’s exactly what I do. I find something then buy a few of them, so I don’t have to shop for another full year! 🙂

  36. Darla @ Bakingdom says

    Yum. Yumyumyumyumyummm. I only recently discovered just how much I love toffee in baked goods! These just bumped everything on my must-make list down a notch so it can sit at the top! 🙂

  37. Sara says

    These look absolutely amazing and can’t wait to try them. One question: For the chocolate dipping sauce you say “2/3 cup dark chocolate.” I’ve never heard of measuring chocolate by the cup. Do you have a weight in ounces on that? Or, am I supposed to finely chop chocolate and then measure it? Help, I need to start baking these now! Thanks for your answer and your beautiful site.

  38. Naomi says

    Sara-Measure out 2 1/3 cups. As for the chocolate 1/3 cup equals 75 grams in weight.

  43. Carol says

    This is the second cupcake recipe I made of yours (Banana Split Cupcakes were first) and this was an even bigger hit. BTW-these were over the top in the best way imaginable. Thanks for the great recipe!

  48. Kelly says

    I’m going to make these next weekend for my daugter’s 3rd birthday party. I want to make sure I’m reading the assemble section correctly. Is this the correct sequence: frost cupcakes, chocolate dipping sauce, chocolate dipping sauce again, and then frosting again?

  49. Naomi says

    Kelly – Here you go:
    1.Pipe frosting along the perimeter working towards the center to create a bottom layer.
    2.Flash freezed so the frosting doesn’t melt when dipped in warm chocolate. Remove from freezer.
    3.Dip in warm chocolate and rim with toffee bits.
    4. Flash freeze once more for the chocolate to set.Remove from freezer.
    5. Finish piping cupcake with preferred tip.

  50. stephanie spracklin says

    hi there, thanks for the amazing recipe. I’m halfway through making this and got down to the amount of sugar in the frosting recipe. is it 1+1/2 or just 1/2? i made it with a half, and it seems a bit soft. the fridge will change things I’m sure, just wanted to check on the recipe:) thanks again, the cupcakes are really really good.

  51. Marissa says

    Just made these! Turned out great! (Not as pretty as yours though). One thing I want confused about was where the instant coffee was supposed to come into play. It said instant coffee and then hot coffee. I just wasn’t sure if the instant and hot were from the same. Anyways I just nixed the instant and made regular and they turned out! Also crushed up skor bars as the toffee!

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  53. Angelina says

    I am confused as to what “11/2 cup sugar” is?? I see this on a couple of your frosting recipes and I’m not sure what to do 🙁 I’ve made the cupcakes, but now I can’t frost them…HELP!!!

  55. Amanda Robinson says

    You are a horrible recipe writer!!!! I couldn’t understand a fucking word. Why did you put instant coffee and hot coffee in the ingredients and then leave it out on the instructions???? Ugh so annoyed reading this.

  56. Amy W says

    How about, instead of being so rude and swearing on a public forum, you ask a nice simple question like, “Hi. I see you forgot to mention when to add the instant coffee granules and I’m a little confused (and clearly an inexperienced baker). Could you clarify?”

    Maybe then you’ll get a nice response like, “Add it to the hot coffee before stirring it in to give the cake a little extra punch of coffee flavor or just omit.”

  59. Ashley C. says

    Can you taste the coffee? Is there a substitute for the coffee? (One of the people I’m baking for cannot stand even a little bit of coffee flavor.) Thanks!

  62. Audrey Rose says

    When the frosting recipe says “sugar”, is that confectiners or granulated?

  64. Elizabeth says

    The frosting was tricky for me, my kitchen isn’t stocked like it should be so I had to make do with what I had.. aka no stand mixer (so sad) and no double boiler.. however this is the smoothest frosting I’ve ever had.. I love the consistency. I did add more coffee flavor, but only because I REALLY love coffee and paired with toffee.. well.. that’ll blow your mind. Awesome recipe.

  68. Maryann says

    Hi, for the caramel frosting, you wrote 11/2 cup of sugar. Did you mean 1 and 1/2 cups OR 1/2 cup of sugar? Please let me know, thanks!

  69. Maryann says

    Nevermind! Just read back on the comments and found my answer. Going to make them for Christmas (in 2 days, woohoo!). Definitely excited to try these! 🙂

  70. Meg H says

    Amy, my thoughts exactly!

    Sadly, Amanda Robinson IS a baker. She owns Sweet Fix. As a business owner myself, and an avid baker, I think it’s terrible to so blatantly attempt to harm a fellow baker. I think Naomi is gifted and should be celebrated.

  71. Megan says

    Hi!! I used this recipe loosely to make these cupcakes! They’re so pretty!! I did make the caramel frosting exactly as you instructed, but a day in advance. I let it come to room temp before piping. I found that it separated though. Any thoughts on why??

  72. Cynthia Parker says

    This really looks lovely and delish, however, 4sticks of butter for frosting? Can’t this be made less fattening?

  76. barbara says

    Hello, amazing recipe. Just curious…for frosting is it confectioners sugar or regular sugar? Thank you so much!!

  78. Danielle says

    I took this recipe on as my project for last night. Doubled the recipe and got 2.5 dozen cupcakes. They came out amazing! (Although they don’t look as amazing as the one in your photo because I am not so good at piping frosting…. Still an amateur lol) but anyway, I followed just about everything as written except I replaced the hot coffee with hot water and instant coffee with espresso powder (halved the amount) I also followed the homemade caramel sauce recipe for the frosting and was proud of myself because I’ve never tried to make caramel but it came out perfect. Overall love the recipe and I will make it again someday I’m sure!!

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  83. Theresa says

    When do u add instant coffee? Do u put the toffee bits in the cupcakes or just on the chocolate?

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  92. therese gutman says

    I tried this recipe for Easter and my co-workers……they absolutely LOVED them. The only change I made was take the extra caramel sauce and drizzle over the top of the frosting on top.
    These cupcakes are the best

  95. ender778 says

    yummy

    I love toffee cupcakes try chocolate toffee cupcakes
    (1 like = 1 toffee cupcake)

  96. stephanie spracklin says

    BEST CUPCAKE I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. I MADE HUNDREDS OF THESE (EXACT RECIPE) FOR MY SISTERS WEDDING AND HAD DOZENS OF PEOPLE TELL ME THE SAME THING – BEST IN THEIR LIVES. I ALSO MADE A CAKE OUT OF THIS RECIPE FOR my sons first birthday. absolutely delicious, i’m so lucky to have foudn this recipe

  97. Tara R says

    I made these they were one of the best cupcakes I have ever had. That being said my icing was quite runny, it tasted great but didn’t firm up enough. I ended up adding close to a cup of powdered sugar. Do you have any tips? Why you think it may have been runny? I cooked the egg white correctly, I beat them in my stand mixer at least 10 minutes if not longer . Thanks and great job!

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