IC: Brown Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing & Caramel Topping

Another Iron Cupcake challenge is here!  This month’s challenge was Nuts & Seeds & for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to make.  There were so many options!  But in the end, I chose to do a brown butter cake with pecans.

This was my inspiration for my cupcakes.  I found a brown butter cupcake recipe over at Baking Bites & decided to use my favorite cream cheese icing recipe & Smitten Kitchen’s caramel sauce recipe.  I think everything turned out fantastic!

& here is what everyone is competing to win this month:

A Bunnycake Easter Plushie by DOGBONEART, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21636297.

A whimsical piece by CAKEASAURUS, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5729584.

as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.

a collection of all new printed cupcake liners, 200 in all from Sweet Cuppin’ Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/

PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382,

Last and certainly not least, don?t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com . And as a special thank you, we would like to once again thank DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270 for her participation in the February challenge. An incorrect link was posted and we want to be sure that she gets the recognition she deserves. Thanks again Diana!

Voting begins Sunday March 29 & ends Friday April 3. So don’t forget to vote! All you have to do is visit NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER within that time & cast your vote!

When I made these cupcakes I made the cupcakes first and while they were cooling I made the icing.  I iced the cupcakes and then rolled them in some toasted & chopped pecans.  I then made the caramel topping & let it cool for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Then I took a spoon and poured the caramel on top of each cupcake.   You could always use a different nut, too.  Say, maybe walnuts.  That would be nice.

Anyway, here’s the recipe!  Hope you like them.

[printable version]

adapted from Baking Bites

makes 24 cupcakes

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups AP flour

2/3 cup cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature

3/4 cup pecans, chopped & toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F & line 2 12-cup cupcake pans with liners.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Continue to cook over medium low heat until the butter is an amber color.  Remove from the heat and pour butter into a bowl, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flours, baking powder, salt & sugars.

In a separate large bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla & milk; add the cooled butter  [it's very important for the eggs & milk to be at room temperature, as well as the melted butter.  Otherwise when the warm butter hits the cold milk & eggs the butter will become gritty]

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.  Add the pecans.  Scrape down the sides of the bowls and continue beating until everything is well combined.

Divide into the cupcake pans & bake about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through.

[you could make this into a cake by using 2 9x2 baking pans that have been buttered & floured.  Your baking time will be longer, of course.  Just keep an eye on it and you should be just fine]

adapted from Cupcakes!

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, slightly softened

12 oz cream cheese

6 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined.  Add the vanilla.  Now ice your cupcakes!  [I also rolled my cupcakes in some chopped pecans.  about 3/4 cup, chopped fairly fine & toasted]

adapted taken from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup sugar

6 tbs salted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs heavy cream, at room temperature

In a large [yes, large {very important that it's at least 2 - 3 quarts}] pot, melt the sugar.  Stir the sugar with wooden spoon as it melts.  Cook the sugar until it is a dark copper color.  Add the butter and stir until it melts, remove the pan from the stove.  Add the heavy cream and stir until you have a smooth sauce.

Pour the sauce from the pan into a bowl [in my case a jelly jar].  You?ll use almost all of this on the cupcakes but you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  Just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up.

Once you?ve iced your cupcakes [& rolled in pecans] spoon slightly cooled caramel over top.

Any leftover caramel could [& should] be eaten with a spoon.