Chocolate & Brandy Cupcakes with Toffee Sauce - Bakemas Day 14

Nothing says Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year like booze in your cupcakes!


You know at the beginning of bakemas when I said “last year was a bit of a fail” well...this is one of those recipes that I tested, made, shot and then never ended up posting. I actually tested and shot all the recipes for last year I just ran out of time to write the posts and edit the photos. I had a couple of days which involved a lot of loud music, I was enjoying myself just a little too much and those are the days I get a little snap happy and end up taking about 50 photos of the same exact thing which just makes the editing process take longer.
So I guess this recipe is a little different from a lot of my others this year because it involves sugar and a little tiny bit of dairy and when I say tiny I mean tiny. That toffee sauce poured over the top of the icing that’s got a little dairy in so if you’re not insanely lactose intolerant you should be okay, for all you allergy free people you’re all good.

But a couple things before I get to the recipe...

If you want to switch the sugars in the cupcakes to coconut sugar it should be fine, I have not used coconut sugar in this specific recipe but coconut sugar in chocolate cupcakes is delicious and has never failed me. If I remember right I’m pretty sure I’ve made this toffee sauce with full fat coconut milk in place of the double cream before so that’s an option if you can’t deal with dairy.

I'll stop rambling about substitutions now; let's get to the recipe.
You will need
110g butter/margarine
110g demerera sugar
120g light brown sugar
2 free range eggs
125g self-raising flour, sifted
80g plain flour, sifted
40g cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
110ml milk, I used almond but any will work
1tbsp brandy
Dark chocolate chunks

For the sauce
50g butter/margarine
70g light muscovado sugar
100ml double cream

For the Icing
125g butter/marg
300g icing sugar
2 tbsp brandy

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4 and line a muffin tray.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter/margarine and sugars until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time mixing after each addition.
Combine the two flours and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and mix. Mix the vanilla and milk in a jug and stir to combine. Add in a third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat, then add a third of the milk mixture and beat, do this until all the wet and dry ingredients are combined then mix in the brandy.
Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases, filling them about two thirds full. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes until raised and springy to the touch.
Leave the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the muffin tray then transfer to a wire rack.

To make the sauce add all the ingredients in a saucepan, once everything has melted together bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a little jug and set aside to cool.

For the brandy icing, place the butter or margarine in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the icing sugar until everything’s combined then add in the brandy.

Once the cupcakes and toffee sauce have cooled, pipe on the icing, sprinkle on some dark chocolate chunks and drizzle over the toffee sauce.

Makes 12

Note: If your toffee sauce is still too warm it’ll melt your icing so make sure it’s cool enough to drizzle over the icing.