My husband recently asked me if I could somehow incorporate marmite into a cupcake and personally could think of nothing worse! I tested out a few recipes and came up with a mixture of caramel and chocolate. This is the marmite and caramel recipe and the chocolate one will be soon to follow. As a non-marmite lover, I have to admit that this combination of flavours really really works.
Just a little history about marmite. Marmite is made from yeast extract which is known as a by-product of brewing beer. It was invented in the 19th Century by a German scientist known as Justus von Liebig who realised that the yeast from brewing beer could be concentrated and eaten. Marmite is full of vitamin B complex which was given to the British soldiers in WW1 to keep up their energy levels.
Here is my fab recipe for marmite and caramel cupcakes for all you marmite and non-marmite lovers out there.

This is what you will need;
Chocolate cupcake base;
– 200g Butter at room temperature
– 200g Caster sugar
– 140g Plain flour
– 60g Cocoa powder
– 4 Free range eggs
– 2 tsp Baking powder
– Pinch of salt
Ingredients for the marmite caramel;
– 250ml Double cream
– 125ml Cold water
– Marmite (as much as you would like)
– 330g Caster sugar
Ingredients for the sugar syrup;
– 50g Sugar
– 50g Boiling water
Ingredients for the Butter cream;
– 500g Icing Sugar
– 250g Unsalted butter at room temperature
– 50g Good quality dark chocolate (I like to use 80% cocoa)

Method;
Set the oven to 180C and line a cupcake baking tray with cupcake paper liners. In a clean, dry bowl add your butter and beat well until the colour has turned from a yellow colour to a pale cream colour. Once the butter has changed colour, this means that it has become fully aerated and usually takes around 5 minutes. Add in your sugar and mix together until the consistency has become light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time ensuring that each egg has been properly mixed in before the next addition. In a separate bowl sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder and once this has been well mixed together, add this dry mixture to your butter and sugar mixture a 1/3 at a time. Once all the ingredients have been mixed together pour into your cupcake liners until they are 2/3 full, this will leave enough space for the cupcakes to rise in the oven. Place your cupcakes in the oven for 20/25 minutes, once they are ready, they should spring back to the touch. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, remove them to cool fully on a wire cooling rack.

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, now it is time for the marmite caramel. In a small saucepan heat the sugar and water on a medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring the sugar syrup to the boil without stirring until it becomes a golden colour. Once the colour of the caramel has become golden, stir well to evenly distribute the colour. The colour of the caramel is completely to your taste however, remember that the darker the colour the more burnt your caramel is becoming, which can cause a bitter under tone. I like my caramel to be a deep golden colour but not too brown. The marmite will also darken your caramel so remember this. Once you have achieved your desired colour, remove from the heat and whisk in the cream carefully. Be careful as the boiling sugar will burn you badly if it touches your skin so make sure you pour in the cream slowly. Once the sugar syrup and cream have cooled enough for you to taste it, add in the marmite, one spoon at a time, tasting between each addition to ensure you have reached the perfect taste. Pour your marmite caramel into a bowl and leave to the side. This will be added into your butter cream icing creating the perfect marmite balance.
Next it is time to make your sugar syrup. In a coffee mug add the sugar and boiling water (I usually use boiled water straight from the kettle). Mix this until all the sugar has dissolved. Using a skewer, pierce a few holes through your cupcakes and using a brush, brush your sugar syrup over the top of each cupcake. The sugar syrup should sink into your cupcakes and create a deliciously moist cupcake. Leave to the side until your cupcakes are completely cold.
This leaves you the perfect amount of time to make the butter cream icing. Place the butter in a clean, dry bowl and mix well for approx. 5 minutes until the butter has gone from a yellow colour to a pale cream colour. Add in the icing sugar one spoon at a time ensuring your mix well with each addition.
At this point, I like to split my butter cream in half. Melt the chocolate down and leave to cool fully. Once the chocolate is cool, add to one half of your butter cream and mix well together. Now, get your other half of the butter cream which has no chocolate in it and spoon in your caramel, do not mix it, only fold it as it can split your butter cream if you mix it too quickly. Once you have completed both butter creams, I put them in a split piping bag and pipe them onto my cupcakes. This gives them a two toned effect. Sprinkle some chocolate shavings to finish.
There you have it, my Marmite and Caramel cupcakes enjoy….

Organized by Parcel Hero