Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Moist chocolate cake filled with homemade caramel... topped with vanilla butter cream and seasalt? What could be better?!!

I am in love with salted caramel anything - chocolates, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, you name it!

This is one of my favorite salted caramel concotions - they are my go-to "need to take cupcakes to a party" cupcakes and they are always a hit!

I made them last weekend because I had told so many people here at school about them, but hadn't made them yet! They are on the complicated side - with lots of ingredients - so it's been hard to find the time and all the ingredients! But with classes behind me and reading week ahead of me - I went for it! My floor and all my friends loved them!

The chocolate cake that I use is pretty incredible too. So if you're just looking for a basic chocolate cupcake recipe - try these out!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes – Makes 36


Cupcakes
2 C. flour
1 C cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 C granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter
2/3 c melted chocolate
2 tsp vanilla
1 C sour cream


Chardonnay Caramel Sauce (Store bought caramel works just as well)
1 C sugar
1 stick butter
½ C heavy whipping cream
1/4 C oak vatted Chardonnay


Butter Cream
2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 C powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp milk



Make the caramel sauce first and stick it in the fridge; it will still pour just fine after being in there and won't be completely absorbed by the cake when you fill the cupcakes.


Caramel Sauce
Heat sugar and on medium high (any hotter and you'll have sugar flying all over your kitchen!) in heavy 2 quart saucepan and stir. When the sugar starts to boil (and all the sugar is melted) add butter to pan and whisk until melted. Remove pan from heat and let cool about 5 seconds. Whisk in cream. (It will foam and that’s good) Whisk until smooth. Add Chardonnay while hot and whisk together. Remove from pan into a glass jar to store. Can be premade. 

CupCakes
Preheat oven to 350. Line Muffin Tins with Cupcake Liners. Sift together Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Salt. Beat eggs and sugar. Add Milk, Butter, Chocolate, Vanilla and Sour Cream. Add Dry ingredients. Beat at medium for 2-3 minutes. Pour Batter 2/3 full in muffin tins. Cook for 8-12 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. The cake is pretty fine (read: crumbles easily) and the less you handle the cake the better.


Butter Cream
Cream butter and vanilla. Add Confectioner’s Sugar in 1 cup increments. Add Milk to desired thickness. Beat on high about 4 minutes


Assembly
Once cupcakes are cooled, use a teaspoon to scoop out a hole in the top of the cupcake. Take that part out but keep it! No eating! Pour caramel sauce into the hole. Replace the top and then frost the cupcakes! Drizzle caramel sauce over the top if you'd like and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!