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Salted caramel chocolate cupcakes-your favorite coffeehouse drink in cupcake form!
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I’m SO EXCITED to share with you all this cupcake recipe. I truly believe this is the best cupcake I’ve ever made. The buttercream tastes exactly like the first sip of the salted caramel mocha drink you get at Starbucks (well, sans caffeine).
It’s my favorite holiday/seasonal drink and now it’s in cupcake form – brilliant!
I brought this cupcake to so many people. I brought it in for my coworkers and I brought it to happy hour with my friends. Upon my arrival with the cupcake box to the bar, the bartender asked me, “oh, are those cupcakes from the cupcake place in the shopping center?” You have no idea how awesome it felt to tell her, “nope, I made them!” with a big, cheesy grin :) I love that my frosting skills have improved so much. I remember my first few trials with frosting. Oh man, those were the days!
These will probably be the moistest cupcakes you will EVER EVER have. Seriously. Also, in the process of buttercream recipe testing, I ate so much buttercream that my hips are cursing me and my jeans aren’t happy!
Alright, so, if you aren’t in the mood to get up to go to Starbucks, whip up a batch of these and you won’t even miss that green lady in your hand :)
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 package of Jello instant chocolate pudding
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream
- 1 cup (237 ml) vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup (270 g) mini chocolate chips
For the salted caramel buttercream
- 15–20 caramel candies, unwrapped
- 3–4 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) heavy cream
- 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line muffin tins with baking cups.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl, mix together cake mix, instant pudding, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix very well. Gently stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Equally divide the batter into the baking cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove and place them on wire cooling racks to cool completely.
- In the meantime, make your buttercream by first melting the caramel candies and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the caramel is all melted, stir in 1/2 tsp. of salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the remaining 1 tsp. of salt.
- Gently add half of the powdered sugar to the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Then drizzle in the caramel while the mixer is on low. If the caramel has hardened up a bit that you can’t pour it, heat it up just enough so you can pour it into the mixer with ease.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until well combined.
- Put the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a pastry tip of your choice.
- Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
These are so good! Perfect combination of salty and sweet!
Those cupcakes look fantastical, Julie! Salted caramel–it can do no wrong, yo. Plus, I LOOOOVE that you used boxed cake mix to dress these pups up.
Looking good. =)
I bet they’re waaaay tastier that that “cupcake place in the shopping center”! hehe
would you believe i’ve never had a salted caramel mocha in my life? either way, these look fantastic + i’d love to get my hands on one right now!
These cupcakes look amazing! Can’t wait to try these!
Anything with salted caramel, and I am in heaven!
I seriously almost just licked my computer screen. WANT.
I can almost taste these…
Julie these are gorgeous! Your icing looks amazing!!
what a brilliant compliment! they do look so professional! and they sound absolutely delicious!