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Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 56 reviews

These decadent Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes combine rich, moist chocolate sponge with a luscious homemade caramel filling and a salted caramel buttercream frosting. Perfectly balanced between sweet and salty, these cupcakes are a crowd-pleaser for any occasion, featuring a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a gooey caramel center and smooth, fluffy buttercream topping.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 130 g plain flour (all purpose) (1 cup / 4.6 oz)
  • 40 g Dutch process cocoa powder (⅓ cup / 1.4 oz)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 113 g unsalted butter, melted (½ cup / 4 oz / 1 stick)
  • ½ cup white granulated sugar (100 g / 3 ½ oz)
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar (100 g / 3 ½ oz)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup buttermilk (180 ml)

Caramel Filling

  • 250 g store-bought chewy caramels (~9 oz)
  • ½ cup thickened cream (heavy cream) (125 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (optional)

Salted Caramel Buttercream

  • 170 g unsalted butter, softened (6 oz / 1 ½ sticks / ¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (8 tsp)
  • 2 to 2 ½ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar) (260 g – 325 g / ~9.2 – 11 ½ oz)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons thickened cream (heavy cream)
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F and line muffin tins with paper cases to prepare for baking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the plain flour, Dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to combine evenly.
  3. Combine Butter and Sugars: In a separate bowl or stand mixer, beat melted butter with white granulated sugar and dark brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
  4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well each time and scraping down the bowl sides. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
  5. Alternate Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Add one-third of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Then add half of the buttermilk and fold gently again. Repeat this alternating process until all dry ingredients and buttermilk are used up, being careful not to overmix to avoid dense cupcakes.
  6. Fill and Bake: Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. The cupcakes are done when a skewer inserted comes out with just a few crumbs.
  7. Cool: Allow cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Melt Caramel Sauce: Place unwrapped caramels and thickened cream in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until caramels melt and mixture is smooth. Stir in sea salt flakes if using. Allow to cool before proceeding.
  9. Make Caramel Buttercream: Beat softened unsalted butter with dark brown sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed to ensure sugar dissolves well.
  10. Incorporate Caramel and Vanilla: Add ½ cup (125 ml) of cooled caramel sauce, vanilla extract, and salt if using to the butter mixture. Beat thoroughly to combine.
  11. Add Icing Sugar: With mixer on low speed, add icing sugar in quarters, reserving ½ cup to adjust consistency. Mix until fully incorporated, then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, scraping bowl sides occasionally.
  12. Finish Buttercream: Add the cream and beat for 30-40 seconds to achieve a smooth, pipeable consistency.
  13. Core Cupcakes: Using a cupcake corer or paring knife, cut a hole in the top of each cupcake and fill with 1-2 teaspoons of caramel sauce. Optionally, replace the tops with cake offcuts for a neat finish.
  14. Pipe Frosting: Pipe the caramel buttercream onto each cupcake with a piping bag or knife.
  15. Decorate: Drizzle leftover caramel and melted chocolate over the frosted cupcakes for an appealing finish.
  16. Serve and Enjoy: Allow cupcakes to set slightly before serving. Leave comments and ratings to share your experience!

Notes

  • Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep cupcakes tender and fluffy.
  • Using room temperature eggs helps the batter mix better and results in a smoother texture.
  • The caramel sauce can be made in advance and cooled; store in the refrigerator and gently warm before use.
  • If you prefer less sweetness, reduce the amount of brown sugar slightly in the buttercream.
  • Baking time may vary based on your oven; start checking for doneness around 18 minutes.
  • Sea salt flakes enhance the caramel flavor but can be omitted if preferred.
  • Store-bought chewy caramels make the caramel sauce preparation quick and easy.

Keywords: caramel chocolate cupcakes, caramel buttercream, chocolate cupcakes recipe, salted caramel cupcakes, easy cupcake recipes, homemade caramel frosting

Find it online: https://bitesizedbenny.com/caramel-chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/