Ginger Cupcakes with Toffee Frosting

 These are a special birthday treat and are a great expansion to gingerbread cake.
They are a simple ginger cupcake mix topped with a buttercream frosting mixed with a toffee sauce.

Ingredients

150g butter at room temp
150g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp milk

Frosting

200g butter at room temp
50g soft brown sigar
3 tbsp milk
200g icing sugar



Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. 
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Sift the flour together with the spices.
Gradually mix the eggs into the creamed butter and sugar alternating with the flour to stop the mix from curdling.
Finally, stir through the milk.
Divide the mix between 12 cases in a muffin tin.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Leave to cool slightly in the tin and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.


Frosting

Put 50g of the butter in a pan with the brown sugar and cook over a low heat until melted. 
Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and stir to form a thick toffee sauce.
Leave to one side to cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl beat the the rest of the butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar and beat well until it starts to become fluffy and soft.
Add the cooled toffee sauce and mix thoroughly.
Add a splash more of milk if the mixture seems too thick.
Pipe onto the cupcakes however you want to. 

I have added some edible gold leaf to these as a birthday treat but you could sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the top for decoration and extra flavour. 

(The recipe is courtesy of Good Food Channel)