Hanukkah Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cupcakes with Tahini Buttercream

When I put this recipe together I had Hanukkah cupcakes in mind! Hanukkah desserts are usually fried – think doughnuts like sufganiyah – but I know not everyone is a fan of a huge vat of boiling oil! These chocolate cupcakes have a tahini frosting, and the cupcakes are filled with salted caramel. When you cut or bite into it, it’s meant to be like the gelt you win when playing with the dreidel!

The chocolate cupcake isn’t as rich or moist as I would usually do, because I don’t want the chocolate to overpower the salted caramel or tahini. It is such a good triple combo, basically all my favourite things in one!

Ingredients

• Chocolate these cupcakes use melted dark chocolate for the batter, no cocoa powder here!
• Buttermilk I love using buttermilk in cake to give you a bit of a tang. If you don’t have buttermilk handy, put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/vinegar for every cup of milk and leave for 5 minutes.
• Eggs make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking

How to make Hanukkah Cupcakes

Step 1: make the salted caramel – gelt!

Start by making your salted caramel, because you’ll want that to be at room temperature when you fill the cupcakes. Put the sugar, golden syrup, and water in a saucepan and heat over medium-high. Let it turn a medium amber without stirring. Once it’s a medium amber, take it off the heat and add your butter. Careful, as it will sputter! You’ll then add in your double cream, and finally your vanilla and salt.

Step 2: beat the butter and sugar

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is nice and fluffy. You can then add the sugars and beat until it is light, it takes about 3 minutes. Add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. You can then pour in the melted chocolate.

Step 3: add the dry ingredients

It’s time to add in the dry ingredients! In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. You’ll put the milk in a separate jug. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk. You always want to start and end with the dry, because this will mean gluten will form but not so much that it’ll be tough.

Step 4: bake

Fill a 12-cup cupcake in with cupcake liners and fill each one three-quarters of the way. Bake your cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, a toothpick inserted should come out clean!

Step 5: frosting

This is such an easy frosting! It’s the same one I used in my chocolate sheet cake here. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and tahini until completely smooth. This takes awhile so be patient! Then add in your icing sugar, salt and vanilla.

Step 6: Assembly

Once the cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife to cut out a cone in the centre of each cupcake. Fill that with the salted caramel, then frost each cupcake. I finished with Sweetapolita sprinkles which happen to be Hanukkah colours!