Sticky Date Cupcakes With Caramel Icing
By: Vicki
Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 4:07am

Ingredients




175 grams (1 ¼ cups) pitted dates, halved
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
100 grams unsalted butter, softened, chopped
165 grams (¾ cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
225 grams (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Demerara (raw) sugar to decorate (optional)
Caramel Icing
60 grams unsalted butter, chopped
110 grams (½ cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar
60 milliliters (¼ cup) pouring cream
120 grams (¾ cup) icing sugar mixture, sifted

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 180C. 2 Line 18 holes of 2x12 hole (80ml) muffin pans with paper cases 3 Combine dates and 310ml (1 1/4cups) water in a small saucepan and bring to boil over low to med heat and simmer for 3 minutes (until jam like consistency). 4 Remove from heat and mash lightly (with potato masher or fork). 5 Stir in bicarbonate soda and stand for 5 minutes. 6 Stir the butter and brown sugar into warm date mixture until butter melts and the sugar dissolves. 7 Stir in eggs until combined. 8 Sift in flour and ginger, then fold in with a metal spoon until combined. 9 Divide the mixture among the paper cases. 10 Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are firm when lightly touched. 11 Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool (about 40 minutes). 12 To make icing, combine butter, brown sugar and cream in a small pan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. 13 Bring to just below boiling point, then reduce heat to low-med and simmer for 2 minutes stirring until thickened. 14 Remove from heat and gradually beat in icing sugar until smooth. 15 Spread icing onto cakes and decorate with demerara sugar if desired.