Recipe: Dulce de Leche Chocolate cupcakes for National Cupcake Week

Recipe: Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cupcakes
National Cupcake Week 2018

National Cupcake Week returns to the UK from 18-24 September 2018. To celebrate the occasion, Royal Lancaster London will be serving up an exclusive cupcake-creation from Head Pastry Chef Steve Penny: Dark Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Cupcakes.

The indulgent treat will be served in the hotel’s Hyde Lobby Bar throughout the week and is priced at £3 per cupcake. Steve Penny shares his recipe for a twist on a classic.

Dark Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Cupcake by Steve Penny

Ingredients (10-12 cupcakes):
250g Softened butter
150g Caster sugar
100g Light brown sugar
250g Eggs
20ml Milk
250g Self-raising flour
30g Cocoa powder
20g Cocoa nibs
2 cans Condensed milk
100g Dulce de leche
Valrhona Dulcey pearls

Chocolate Butter Cream:
50g Dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
100g Unsalted butter, softened
200g Icing sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Splash of Milk (to loosen)

Method
To make the Dulce de Leche:
Step 1: Take two cans of condensed milk and place them unopened in a bain-marie in the oven. Set the oven temperature to 120 degrees for around 2-3 hours. Be careful when opening the cans as they will remain hot for a long time!

To make Chocolate Butter Cream:
Step 1: Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool until the chocolate no longer feels hot to the touch.

Step 2: Beat the butter in a second bowl until soft then gradually add the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Step 3: Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture until completely mixed, you can add a few drops of milk if the mixture is a little stiff.

To make the Cupcakes:
Step 1: In a bowl mix together the flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Slowly add the milk, eggs and lastly the dried ingredients (flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs). Fold in the Dulce de Leche into the mix.

Step 4: Fill 10-12 muffin tins. Don’t fill to the top, only ¾ of the cases should be full!

Step 5: Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until a knife inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean) and allow to cool.

Step 6: Once cool, carefully make a hole in the top of the cakes using a teaspoon and pipe in the dulce de leche. Top with a spread of the milk chocolate butter cream to give a smooth velvety finish.

Step 7: Sprinkle Valrhona Dulcey pearls and drizzle more chocolate on top just for luck!

Recipe: Dulcey de Leche Chocolate cupcakes

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Ingredients

  

• 250 g Softened butter
• 150 g Caster sugar
• 100 g Light brown sugar
• 250 g Eggs
• 20 ml Milk
• 250 g Self-raising flour
• 30 g Cocoa powder
• 20 g Cocoa nibs
• 2 cans Condensed milk
• 100 g Dulce de leche
• Valrhona Dulcey pearls
• Chocolate Butter Cream:
• 50 g Dark chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids
• 100 g Unsalted butter softened
• 200 g Icing sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Splash of Milk to loosen

Instructions

 

• To make the Dulce de Leche:
• Step 1: Take two cans of condensed milk and place them unopened in a bain-marie in the oven. Set the oven temperature to 120 degrees for around 2-3 hours. Be careful when opening the cans as they will remain hot for a long time!
• To make Chocolate Butter Cream:
• Step 1: Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool until the chocolate no longer feels hot to the touch.
• Step 2: Beat the butter in a second bowl until soft then gradually add the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.
• Step 3: Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture until completely mixed, you can add a few drops of milk if the mixture is a little stiff.
• To make the Cupcakes:
• Step 1: In a bowl mix together the flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs.
• Step 2: Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Step 3: Slowly add the milk, eggs and lastly the dried ingredients (flour, cocoa and cocoa nibs). Fold in the Dulce de Leche into the mix.
• Step 4: Fill 10-12 muffin tins. Don’t fill to the top, only ¾ of the cases should be full!
• Step 5: Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until a knife inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean) and allow to cool.
• Step 6: Once cool, carefully make a hole in the top of the cakes using a teaspoon and pipe in the dulce de leche. Top with a spread of the milk chocolate butter cream to give a smooth velvety finish.
• Step 7: Sprinkle Valrhona Dulcey pearls and drizzle more chocolate on top just for luck!

Royal Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY
Reservations on 020 7551 6000 or visit wwww.royallancaster.com