Vanilla Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream & Pecan Praline
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3.
Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add Lurpak® butter, milk, eggs and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
Divide mixture into a 12-piece cupcake pan lined with paper cups of your choice.
Bake the cupcakes approx. 25 minutes or until golden brown, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Transfer the cupcakes to a baking rack and let them cool before decorating.
Melt the sugar in a heavy-based pan over medium heat until golden. Don´t stir, just gently swirl the pan to help dissolve the sugar. Add the Lurpak® while stirring. Add the cream, bring to a boil and reduce slightly. Remove from heat and cool completely before using it on top of buttercream.
Why not stir 25ml of dark rum into the syrup if serving for grown-ups.
Place sugar and water in a large heavy-based pan over high heat and cook 8-10 minutes until the sugar turns into a golden caramel.
Pour onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and tilt the tray so you get a thin and even layer. Sprinkle immediately with pecans and leave to set. Chop the praline roughly.
Beat the Lurpak® butter on medium-speed until light and creamy. Gradually sift in the icing sugar and beat until completely smooth. Add the cooled espresso and beat on high-speed until fluffy. Place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm star nozzle. Pipe out a generous rosette of buttercream on each cupcake.
Drizzle with caramel syrup and sprinkle with pecan praline.
