¼ cup (60 ml), plus 6 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream
Sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese, cold
¼ cup brown sugar
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the butterscotch sauce: In a wide saucepan or skillet, melt the butter with the brown sugar, ¼ cup of heavy cream, and a dash or two of salt, stirring until smooth.
Without stirring, let the mixture cook at a bubbling simmer for three minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 6 tablespoons of cream. Let cool a bit, then stir in the vanilla extract.
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.
In a large bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, egg, vinegar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Evenly divide batter into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake in oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, turning the pan once halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated.
Pipe or spread frosting over cupcakes and sprinkle with reserved cinnamon sugar.
For the frosting: Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Cook swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden brown; about 4 minutes.
Pour into the metal mixing bowl of your stand mixer and transfer to the freezer and chill until just firm; about 15 minutes.
Using the stand mixer, beat the butter until light in color, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light in color and the sugar has dissolved; about 2 minutes. Beat in the confectioners' sugar about a ½ cup at a time until combined. Add vanilla and continue beating until fluffy.
To assemble the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, fill each cupcake with a tablespoon or two of the butterscotch sauce. If you don’t have an injector, just spread the butterscotch over the cupcake. Pipe or spread the frosting over each cupcake, then drizzle with extra butterscotch sauce.
Recipe by Allons-Eat! at https://www.allonseat.com/gluten-free-butterbeer-cupcakes/