Cupcake Based on "The Purple One" (Quality Street)

This recipe is relatively complicated, simply because for such a tiny cake, there's a lot of aspects that go in to getting it  perfectly caramelly/chocolatey and to the Quality Street ideal!   If you are creating this cupcake for a nut allergy sufferer, leave off the hazelnut on the top, as there is no other nut products involved in the making!
     I decided to simply encase my cakes in purple foil cases to give the look of "The Purple One" from the beloved Quality Street tin! I then garnished with a drizzle of caramel and one hazelnut, as is found in the centre of the chocolate.

Recipe - Makes 24:

(For The Chocolate Sponge) 

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

40g butter

120ml semi skimmed milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 170ºC (Gas Mark 3) and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

(For The Caramel Sauce)

For this you will need a large, heavy bottomed pan.

200g light brown sugar

200g butter

180ml thick cream

• Melt the sugar and butter together in a pan until they are both dissolved. Stir regularly to avoid burning. 
• Once they are both melted take off the heat and stir in your cream until you have a gorgeous, thick caramel cream. 
• Set aside as this will be used for both your frosting and a final caramel drizzle.

(For The Caramel Frosting)

225g butter

125g icing sugar

2 tbsp vanilla essence

225ml preprepared caramel sauce

• Whisk these all together, you may need slightly more icing sugar depending on the density of the cream you used, so just add until your consistency is correct :)
• Once you have done this, use your remaining caramel sauce to drizzle over each cake before placing a hazelnut on the top. 

They're gorgeous,

Enjoy, K x