Happy New Year! Let’s celebrate and make cupcakes! 😉

If there is one thing I really love in a baked good, it’s probably toffee bits. Before the days of the skinnified baking, I would bake the most amazing cookies that had chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toffee bits. If you ever feel like baking something delicious and not healthy, just follow the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, add butterscotch chips and toffee bits. So delicious. But you know what’s also delicious and has toffee???? These cupcakes! And they are so much healthier and come with a salted caramel frosting that is more delicious than my beloved salted caramel hot chocolate. I sent some home with my mom and got a text from Hank an hour later asking “Where are the rest of the cupcakes?” I also loved when Jacob announced how great they were with a line of chocolate smearing his teeth. He’s classy. So in case you’re not already in the Christmas sugar coma, here you go 😉

Inspired by Toffee Crunch Cupcakes from Annie’s Eats

Original Recipe:

For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. espresso powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup toffee bits

For the ganache and toffee layer:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½-2 cups toffee bits

For the frosting:
5 large egg whites
1½ cups sugar
4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. coarse salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup caramel sauce

My Swaps:

• 1/2 recipe
• Less sugar/some Splenda (-sugar, -calories)
• Applesauce for butter (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
• Egg substitute for eggs (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
• Less quantity of ganache and toffee layer (-fat, -sugar, -calories)
• Grain sweetened chocolate chips  for bittersweet chocolate (-sugar, -calories)
• 2% milk for heavy cream (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories)
• Light whipped butter for regular (-fat, -calories)
• Original salted caramel cream cheese frosting (-fat, -calories)

Skinnified Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

yield 15 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 packet Starbucks via
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash salt
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
• 1/3 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup toffee bits

For the chocolate toffee layer:

• 1/4 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
• 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-3 tbs 2 % milk
• 1/4 cup toffee bits

For the Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz red fat cream cheese
• 1 tbs light whipped butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbs Fleur de Sel caramel
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Fleur de Sel or sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, via, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, sugar and Splenda. Add in vanilla and egg substitute.
4. Slowly alternate beating in dry ingredients with coffee, starting and ending with dry ingredients.
5. Fold in toffee bits.
6. Fill liners 2/3-3/4 full and bake for 16-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
8. Melt chocolate, vanilla and butter for next layer in a microwave safe bowl stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Slowly add in milk until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
9. Using a butter knife, spread a small amount of chocolate on each cupcake. Sprinkle with a pinch of toffee bits.
10. Begin frosting by using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla.
11. Beat in caramel.
12. Slowly add in powdered sugar (use more or less depending on desired sweetness).
13. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with Fleur de Sel or sea salt.