Oktoberfest Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Start by making the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until well combined.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until combined.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the beer and mix until combined.
5. Spoon into the cupcake molds, filling about ¾ full. Bake for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Next, make the caramel sauce. Add the brown sugar, sugar, and beer to a saucepan and heat over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
7. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the butter and stir constantly until it melts. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.
9. Bring to a boil again then reduce the heat to simmer for one minute. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
10. Next, add the dark chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Dip each pretzel twist into the chocolate, coating about half the the pretzel. Place on a piece of wax paper and repeat until all 12 pretzels have been coated in chocolate. Set aside to let the chocolate harden.
11. Next, make the frosting. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.
12. Add the melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and mix until well combined. Continue to add powdered sugar and/or heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached. Add powdered sugar to make the frosting thicker and heavy cream to make the frosting thinner.
13. Add the frosting to a piping bag or Ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. You may have leftover frosting depending on how much you add to each cupcake.
14. Drizzle the caramel sauce over each cupcake.
15. Place a chocolate dipped pretzel on top of each cupcake.
16. Serve and enjoy!
17. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container on the counter.