Happy First Day of Winter/Solstice and not the end of the world! For my final original cupcake of 2012 (final tallies to come), I decided to combine some of the things I love:
- Beer
- Spices
- Caramel
- Cupcakes
Thanks to the wonderful Chris LaPierre of Iron Hill Brewery in Maple Shade, NJ, I had close to a gallon of hopped and spiced Winter Warmer wort to work with (say that 3 times fast). He’s provided me with wort in the past (when I made my Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Cupcake), which is great to work with due to the unfermented sugars in the liquid.
Iron Hill’s Winter Warmer is a medium-bodied dark ale finished with classic winter spices (I know for this batch Chris used Star Anise as the star of the show). I tried the wort straight from the bottle, and was blown away by how flavorful it was. Because of that, I knew I wanted to do more than just bake it into the cupcake–and that’s where the idea of making a caramel with the wort came from.
What’s great about this caramel is that the seasoned craft beer drinker will be able to spot the notes of malt and hops, whereas other folks will just enjoy the thick, creamy, caramely goodness. Not a bad thing on either side of the fence!
So Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, and check back next week when I dig into the data and see how many new cupcake flavors I truly created.
And remember there’s still time to vote for the Cupcake of the Year!
Ingredients
Directions
Begin with the winter warmer caramel so it has time to cool.
In a medium saucepan with tall sides (this caramel gets bubbly) and a candy thermometer clipped to one of the sides, simmer the wort (or beer if you're using it) over medium heat 10-15 minutes.
Add the butter and brown sugar and stir to combine.
Cook about 15-20 minutes, without stirring, to 235 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture will thicken a bit and appear syrupy.
Remove the pot from heat. Slowly add the heavy cream while stirring.
Add the vanilla and salt, stirring again to combine, then return the pot to medium heat and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the caramel has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line pans with cupcake papers.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together. Set aside.
Whisk the egg for 20 seconds, then add the sugar and whisk an additional 30 seconds until thick and frothy.
Add the oil, vanilla, and maple syrup, and beat until combined. Alternate the dry and wet ingredients as follows: dry--buttermilk--dry--wort (or beer)--dry, and beat until combined.
Divide the batter between wrappers in cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely before coring and frosting.
For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and remaining sugar gradually and whip until light and fluffy.
Finally, add the cooled winter warmer caramel, beating until combined. Increase the mixer's speed for 1-2 minutes afterwards to make the frosting extra fluffy.
To assemble the cupcakes, core out the center and fill with some of the winter warmer caramel. Top with the frosting, and finish with a drizzle of the caramel.
Notes
If you are using beer and not wort (which will probably be most of you, unless you're a homebrewer or know a brewer), pour the beer you plan to use into a measuring cup at least 2 hours before you plan to bake. This will let the beer go flat so the carbonation doesn't disrupt the baking process.
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