Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 24
 
Ingredients
  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker is what I used)
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 & ½ cups buttermilk (or add a Tablespoon of vinegar to 1 & ½ cups regular milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes)
  • 1 small box chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 1 jar caramel sundae sauce
  • Chocolate Caramel Frosting (recipe & ingredients follow)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Hershey's Dark Chocolate & Caramel Bliss Candies, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 18 paper liners; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, softened butter, eggs and buttermilk with a handheld electric mixer, beating until combined, about 2 mins. Stir in the pudding mix to blend.
  3. Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about ⅔ full. Bake for approx. 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
  4. Using a toothpick, poke numerous holes over the tops of the par-cooled cupcakes. Immediately pour about a Tablespoon or so of caramel sundae sauce over the tops of the cupcakes. The sauce may sit on the top for awhile, but eventually it'll sink down into the cupcake. Alternatively, you could cut out the centers of each of the cupcakes and fill the cores with caramel sauce, but again, the cake will absorb the sauce. You can always cover the cored cupcake hole with frosting. Allow the cupcakes to finish cooling either way, and let the caramel set.
  5. To prepare the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened; ¼ cup cocoa; ¼ cup caramel coffee syrup (like Torani or Monin); and a teaspoon of vanilla extract until combined, about a minute. Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, until a light and fluffy frosting consistency is achieved.
  6. Place the frosting into a piping bag attached with an open star tip and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt and adorn tops with a dark chocolate & caramel candy. Serve immediately, or store airtight in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe by The Domestic Rebel at https://thedomesticrebel.com/?p=4375