Toasted Almond Cupcakes With Caramel Frosting

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box betty crocker super moist cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350°f (325°f for dark or nonstick pans).
• 2 place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• 3 in shallow pan, bake almonds 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown: cool 15 minutes.
• 4 reserve 1 cup almonds for garnish.
• 5 in food processor, grind remaining almonds until finely ground.
• 6 in large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and almond extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds.
• 7 beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally (batter will be lumpy.)
• 8 fold in ground almonds.
• 9 divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• 10 bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 11 cool 10 minutes.
• 12 remove from pan to cooling rack.
• 13 cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• 14 in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• 15 stir in brown sugar.
• 16 heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
• 17 reduce heat to low; boil and stir 2 minutes.
• 18 stir in milk.
• 19 heat to boiling.
• 20 remove from heat.
• 21 cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
• 22 gradually stir powdered sugar into brown sugar mixture.
• 23 place saucepan of frosting in bowl of cold water.
• 24 beat with spoon until smooth and spreadable.
• 25 if frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
• 26 frost a few cupcakes at a time with 1 tablespoon frosting each; press reserved almonds lightly into frosting.
• 27 store loosely covered at room temperature.