Salted caramel & toffee cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (350f) Gas 4

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and light. Stir in the dulce de leche. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl from time to time with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and mix again. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the egg mixture, with the milk, and mix until smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, filling them two-thirds full, then scatter the toffees over the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen an a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the salted caramel frosting, put the sugar in a small, heavy-based saucepan with 1 tablespoon water over a low heat. Dissolve the sugar, without stirring. Raise the heat and cook until the sugar is a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat and add the cream and salt. The caramel will bubble furiously and harden but stir to melt it into the cream. Leave to cool. Beat the butter until fluffy, gradually add to the cold caramel and beat until smooth. Fill the piping bag with the frosting and pipe swirls onto each cold cupcake.

4. To make the spun sugar, put the sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan with 1 tablespoon water over a low heat until dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Drizzle the caramel over the underside of a greased bowl, leave to harden for 10 seconds, then break into pieces and arrange on top of each cupcake.