Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
These chocolate cupcakes with caramel frosting are the perfect for true caramel lovers. The chocolate cupcakes are moist with a soft crumb and delicious chocolate flavor. Then the caramel buttercream is creamy, sweet & completely addictive.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil , or canola
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup boiling water
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter , cut into 5-6 pieces
- ½ cup whipping cream , cannot be substituted for milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Caramel Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons cream , as needed
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a muffin pan with muffin papers.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract (about 1 minutes). Carefully beat in the buttermilk.
- Mix in the flour mixture about ½ at a time, turning off the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl in between.
- With the mixer on low speed, carefully beat in the boiling water.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 16-19 minutes, or until the tops feel slightly firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add the sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat the sugar while whisking constantly. After a while it will form lumps - then turn into a smooth amber colored liquid.
- Gently whisk the mixture until it's smooth and dark amber color. Be careful or else your caramel can burn.
- Carefully whisk in the chopped butter until it's fully melted (it will bubble up).
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the whipping cream.
- Then stir in the vanilla extract & salt.
Caramel Frosting
- In a large bowl beat the butter until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar, starting with the mixer on low and then turning it up to medium as it incorporates.
- Mix in ½ cup salted caramel sauce (you won't need all that you made). It must be 100% cooled before adding it into the frosting.
- Beat in the remaining powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream until the desired sweetness and consistency is reached.
- Frost the cupcakes using a knife or a piping bag (I used a 1M tip). Optionally, drizzle each cupcake with more salted caramel sauce.
Notes
*If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to ⅓ cup milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes to sour before using.
**Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge if your kitchen is warm. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen and thawed in the fridge. Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Let it sit at room temperature to soften before using.