Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Dulce de Leche

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

   

Cupcakes

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup whole milk, heated
• 1 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder

Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 16 oz. confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream 
• Sky Blue and Royal Blue Food Coloring
• Pink Sprinkles
• Gold Butterflies, optional

Instructions:

1. Make dulce de leche – Place a can of sweetened condensed milk with the label removed on its side in the bottom of a stockpot filled with water. Gently boil 2 for hours, replenishing the water as necessary to keep the pot full and the can submerged. Using tongs, transfer the can to a wire rack and let cool completely before opening. 

2. Make cupcakes – In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 4 eggs. Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Beat until very light. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan heat milk and butter until warm but not boiling.  Remove the whisk attachment from the mixer and add a paddle attachment. Add milk mixture to egg and sugar mixture and combine.  Sift together all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add to the wet mixture ½ cup at a time. Mix until combined.

3. Bake cupcakes – Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners. Fill each cupcake reservoir ⅔ full. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Make frosting – Cream butter in a medium bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. When light and fluffy, add confectioners sugar and salt bit by bit until fully combined. Add vanilla and cream or milk until completely combined. If buttercream seems too thick, you may add another tablespoon of milk or cream. If it seems runny, you may add more confectioners sugar. Divide frosting into three bowls. Tint one sky blue, tint one royal blue, and leave one white. We like adding a little sky blue to our royal blue to create a dark teal color. Stir thoroughly to tint throughout. Add each color of frosting to piping bags fitted with star tips.

5. Assemble cupcakes – Carefully cut a 1 ½” divot out of the center of each cupcake taking care not to cut all the way to the bottom. Spoon dulce de leche into the opening, stopping at the top. Place divot over dulce de leche. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

6. Frost the cupcakes – Create a floral design on the top of the cupcakes. To create a rosette, use a spiral pattern beginning in the center and moving outward. Create small flowers by touching the cupcake surface, squeezing the bag slightly and twisting as you move the tip away from the cupcake. Sprinkle with your favorite pink sprinkles. Add a gold butterfly if desired.