Madison Avenue Cupcakes

I have a lot to write about considering I have been on multi-city sugar tour/vacation. It's going to take me a few days to review all the delicious place I have been to in the last week. I am going to start with this weekend and work my way back to last Thursday. Sunday I made Madison Avenue Cupcakes for Fathers Day. The recipe was inspired by a cake from Michelle Marie Patisserie called Park Avenue. Madison Avenue Cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes filled with caramel and frosted with vanilla butter cream. It's definitely a sugar overload.

Chocolate cupcake:
1 cup milk
1 tsp vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven 350 and prepare muffin tin.
Stir milk and vinegar in bowl of stand mixer, and let stand.
In a separate bowl whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Add to the bowl of milk the sugar, oil, and vanilla beat until foamy.
Add dry ingredients to the wet in two batches until no longer lumpy. (a few small lumps are ok.)
Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake 18-20 minutes.

 Caramel:
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 can condensed sweetened milk
1 cup light corn syrup
12 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Combine water, sugar, milk, corn syrup, and butter in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly with silicon spatula.
Continue stirring until syrup reaches 235 or soft ball stage.
Remove from heat. Add salt and vanilla.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting:
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter softened
8 cups/1 bag powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk

In a bowl of a stand mixer cream shortening and butter
Add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
On low speed add salt vanilla and cream.
Turn to high and beat until fluffy.

Assembling

Twist round cookie cutter into center of the cupcake and pull out. Cut the removed cupcake center in half.  Fill center of the cupcake with caramel and place the top half of center back on top of the cupcake. Frost with butter cream.

You may want to make a dental appointment before making these yummy cupcakes, or perhaps next time make a less sugary frosting. :)