Chocolate salted caramel cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
2. Line a 12 cup non-stick muffin tray with cupcake liners.
3. Place all the cupcake ingredients into an electric mixer mixing bowl and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Add 1 cupof boiling water and mix just until the ingredients are blended.
4. Spoon the mixture into the 12 cupcake cases until two thirds full.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.
6. For the caramel, add the sugar and water to a clean, large pot and swirl the pot to mix the sugar and water.
7. Bring the mixture to a fast simmer on a hot stove. Do not stir as this causes crystallisation.
8. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes, not stirring, until the mixture is a golden colour and remove from the heat. The mixture will darken to a golden brown.
9. Carefully add cream, a little at a time, stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble.
10. Place the mixture back on the stove to cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth.
11. Remove from heat and stir in the butter a little at a time. Stir in the salt and leave to cool.
12. For the icing, cream the butter in an electric mixer. Add the icing sugar and mix well.
13. Add enough milk to form a smooth icing that holds its shape, add 2 tablespoons of caramel and mix well.
14. Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a sharp knife to make a hollow in each one, creating sponge pieces about 2 cm in diameter and 3 cm high.
15. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the caramel into each cupcake.
16. Put the pieces of sponge back into the cupcake hollows, pressing down gently to align the tops of the sponge pieces with the tops of the cupcakes.
17. Apply the icing onto the cupcakes with a piping bag or a knife and place a square of the caramel bar on top.

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