I made these cupcakes for my friend Tash’s birthday, which was the same day as my year 12 formal. I did feel a bit ridiculous; carrying cupcakes around while wearing the nicest dress I own, but everyone should get food on their birthday. In the end, I forgot to hand them out at formal, so during the after party I sat on a couch with a drink bottle and a packet of chips (yes, I am very fun at parties) and offered them to slightly confused, tired and inebriated people. I made chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel, with half of them decorated with chocolate frosting and caramel drizzle, and the other half with caramel frosting and a dusting of cocoa powder. I didn’t write down the frosting recipe as I tend to haphazardly throw ingredients into the Kitchen Aid until the frosting is the right consistency, so you're on your own with that one.
This is my go-to cupcake recipe; it makes exactly 12 perfectly sized cupcakes, and can be adapted to any flavour. I’m not sure where this recipe came from, I found it a few years ago in my mums folder of cake recipes. I have since memorised it, and it’s so easy and that it’s the recipe I give to anybody who wants to make cupcakes; particularly people like my friend Harriet who manage to completely destroy cake mixes.
