Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

These chocolate cupcakes with caramel frosting are perfect for true caramel lovers. Moist chocolate cupcake with soft crumbs and delicious chocolate flavor. Then the caramel buttercream is creamy, sweet & truly addictive.

There is a shop that I visited. They have some of the best cupcakes I have ever tried - they are moist, soft, piled high with frosting, and basically heaven in the shape of an adorable cupcake. Plus, you can get delicious milkshakes with your cupcake. Because clearly, it is very necessary.

Last time I was in Seattle, I did a very heavy taste test. And after very scientific and thorough research - their chocolate cake with caramel frosting is my favorite. It has soft cake crumbs and deliciously rich chocolate flavor without being arrogant. Then it is topped with thick and thick salted caramel buttercream that is between caramel sauce and caramel fudge and is incredibly delicious.
So today - I shared my version of this chocolate caramel cupcake.

Chocolate Cupcake with Caramel Frosting
Okay - let's talk about cupcake recipes. I know I need chocolate cupcakes to be moist, very soft, and light in texture but still strong enough to support a lot of freezing. So the ingredients that I use are:

• oil for moisture
• eggs for tenderness
• and buttermilk for the softest crumbs.

I have never used oil in vanilla cupcakes (you need butter for more flavor). But you don't need extra flavor in chocolate cupcakes. And because oil is more liquid at room temperature instead of butter (which is solid) - oil is perfect for chocolate cakes because it keeps the crumbs so moist and light. Then buttermilk is the key to a soft and smooth texture without dry cupcake crumbs.

For the best chocolate flavor, we need cocoa powder for this recipe. Then we add boiling water to the dough because it makes chocolate "bloom" which basically means it increases and increases the chocolate factor.

Then for caramel freezing. Ok - very delicious. It is rich. It is filled with caramel kindness. And this is very thick. I have seen some caramel freezing recipes that use brown sugar - but did you know that the difference between caramel and butterscotch is that caramel uses white sugar and butterscotch uses brown sugar ????

So for the best, mostly caramel, caramel jam we need to use white sugar. We started by making salty caramel sauce. For this freezing, it's best to use thick caramel which is slightly darker in color. I can adapt the recipe for salted caramel sauce for you. If you want to save time you can buy premade caramel, make sure the quality is high and thick.

From there - making buttercream is easy. Beat butter until fluffy. Then mix half of the powdered sugar, followed by salted caramel, vanilla extract & salt. Beat the remaining powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time with 1 tablespoon of whipped cream.

Then it's time to stack them with frosting. Use a bag or a piping knife, then add a drizzle of caramel sauce.

This chocolate cupcake with caramel frosting is pure heaven if you like salted caramel. Soft chocolate cupcakes are the perfect match for sweet, creamy, and soft caramel buttercream. And if you are looking for a cupcake which is a complete showstopper - then this is definitely for you.

INGREDIENTS
chocolate cupcake

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, or canola
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup of boiling water

salted caramel sauce

• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut 5-6 pieces
• 1/2 cup whipping cream, can not be replaced with milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

caramel cream

• 3/4 cup unsalted, soft butter
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons of cream, as needed

INSTRUCTIONS
chocolate cupcake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Cover the muffin pan with muffin paper.
2. In a medium bowl stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt.
3. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat with oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract (about 1 minute). Shake carefully in buttermilk.
4. Mix the flour mixture about 1/2 at a time, turn off the mixer and rub the sides of the bowl in between.
5. With a mixer at low speed, shake carefully in boiling water.
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan that has been prepared, fill each about 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 16-19 minutes, or until the top feels a little hard to the touch and the toothpick inserted is clean.

salted caramel sauce

1. Add sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat the sugar while continuing to whisk. After a while, a lump will form - then turn into a smooth yellow liquid.
3. Shake the mixture gently until the amber color is smooth and dark. Be careful or your caramel can catch fire.
4. Shake the chopped butter carefully until it has completely melted (it will bubble).
5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in whipping cream.
6. Then stir in vanilla extract & salt.

caramel cream

1. In a large bowl, shake the butter until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
2. Beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar, start with a mixer on top of low and then turn to medium when inserted.
3. Mix 1/2 cup of salted caramel sauce (you won't need everything you make). It must be 100% refrigerated before adding it to freezing.
4. Beat the remaining powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream until the desired sweetness and consistency is achieved.
5. Frozen cupcakes using a knife or pipe bag (I used a 1M tip). Optionally, drizzle each cupcake with a more salty caramel sauce.

This recipe is inspired by just so tasty

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