Cactus Caramel Cupcakes

Adorable to behold and divine to devour, these little cupcakes have a tendency to make any baker feel accomplished. It’s the satiny caramel icing that looks so impressive (well, it is one of the oldest American recipes, dating to 1880; also known as burnt sugar icing, it’s a Southern classic). I decorated mine with a green-sugar cactus, because that was the original design I used for my son Leo’s birthday a few years back, but you can use any design you want.