Memorial Day treats. [cream soda toffee cupcakes w. brown butter frosting]

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day! I made these moist and delicious cream soda toffee cupcakes for today, along with barbecue baked beans (thanks for the inspiration, Greg!) and other goodies, which I’ll post at a later date.

Recipe:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tbsp. molasses

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup cream soda (not diet)

3/4 cup Heath toffee bits

1 recipe Brown Butter Frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high 30 seconds. Add sugars; beat until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, on low until combined. Beat in molasses and vanilla.

Alternately add the flour mixture, buttermilk, and cream soda to butter mixture, beating on low-speed after each addition until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the toffee. Fill cups 3/4 full.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on wire rack for about 15 minutes. Frost cupcakes and top with remaining toffee bits.

Brown butter frosting recipe:

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

In bowl, beat 1/4 cup softened butter with mixer on medium 30 seconds. Add cooled brown butter and beat until combined. Add 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg and dash of salt. Beat in 1 to 2 tbsp. buttermilk until spreadable. If frosting is too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar.

* Recipe from Kitchen Daily