Salted Caramel And Chocolate Cupcakes

Sweet, meet salty. These salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes are a simple, yet delicious celebration of sweet and salty flavors. Moist chocolate cupcakes, filled with my home made salted caramel sauce, topped with swirls of fluffy salted caramel buttercream, a generous drizzle of caramel and then, optional, but definitely recommended, sea salt flakes. Get ready for flavor town!

Next to red velvet cupcakes, these ones are my favourite! Chocolate teamed with salty caramel and fluffy American buttercream, I mean, if you’ve never tried these you truly are missing out!

Nick’s favorite thing…

I get asked what my favourite dessert is, a lot. And as much as it is a ridiculous question to ask, I do have an answer. Well, two. My all-time favourite dessert is my Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They’re simply divine. And I don’t care what anyone says, they’re the best. But, my second is my Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes!

What do salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes taste like?

They’re so yum! They start with my super moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes. They’re the ultimate chocolate lover’s cupcake and so easy to make! Then they’re filled with my deliciously tasty salted caramel sauce. That’s also mixed into the swirl of buttercream frosting on top. And then they’re drizzled with my salted caramel sauce and sprinkled with sea salt.

What are the ingredients I need for salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes?

• All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour.
• Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar.
• Cocoa powder – I used unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Bicarb soda – This is used to make the chocolate cake rise.
• Fine salt – I used fine salt.
• Unsalted butter – Make sure your butter is softened.
• Eggs – Make sure your eggs are room temperature.
• Milk – I used cow’s milk but you can use plant based milk. Make sure your milk is room temperature.
• Salted Caramel Sauce – a delicious caramel sauce that is slightly salty which elevates the caramel flavor and cuts through the sweetness.
• Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar.
• Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
• Sea salt flakes – for sprinkling

Let’s go through each step.

Cupcakes

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140C / 285F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. I used brown ones.
2. If you wish to make mini cupcakes you can get 24 mini cupcakes out of this recipe, but you’ll need to have the baking time.

3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb soda and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
4. To a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and use an electric hand mixer to beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. Add one egg and mix. Scrape down the bowl and add the second egg. Repeat.
6. Next, add half of the dry ingredients and half the milk to the butter mixture and mix until well combined and no dry ingredients are showing. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Repeat.

7. Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them up about 3/4 of the way.
8. Bake for 30-40 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Caramel Buttercream

1. Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use an electric hand mixer for this recipe, but if you do use a hand mixer, just make sure your bowl is large. Beat the butter on low speed to begin with, then switch to the highest speed and mix for 5 minutes until the butter is fluffy and turns pale in color.
2. Stop your mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl using a spatula. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix again on low speed. LOW SPEED PEOPLE! The last thing you need is to end up in a sugar dust storm! (I’m speaking from experience…)

3. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, it’s safe to turn your mixer up to high speed. Continue beating on high speed for about 5–6 minutes, or until the butter turns pale in color and becomes fluffy again. If you want to soften your buttercream and make it a little smoother, add the milk and continue mixing for another couple of minutes on medium speed.
4. Add the salted caramel sauce and mix until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip.

Let’s Decorate!

1. Use a knife or apple corer and gently make a hole in the center of your cupcake.
2. Fill with caramel sauce. You have permission to eat the chocolate cake that you just cored haha.

3. Pipe your cupcakes into desired style, I piped a swirl on mine using a Wilton 1M tip.
4. Finished them off with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce

5. And a sprinkling of sea salt flakes.

My Top Tips!

• Make sure you soften your butter properly before making the frosting or cupcake battery t get the best results
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
• Looking for my Salted Caramel Sauce recipe? Click here! It’s super easy to make!

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

Other Recipes You Might Like!

• Cute Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Funfetti Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Salted Caramel Sauce
• American Buttercream Frosting

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!