Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

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These chocolate caramel cupcakes are made using my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, stuffed with a homemade salted caramel filling and frosted with a milk chocolate ganache, more salted caramel sauce and a pinch of flakey sea salt.

chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel sauce and topped with chocolate ganache

Why you’ll love these chocolate caramel cupcakes

A very quick and easy chocolate cupcake recipe, homemade salted caramel sauce that is so much better than store bought and simple milk chocolate ganache make these cupcakes as indulgent as cupcakes get.
If you don’t want a full batch, you can use my small batch cupcake recipe as well and just make half a batch of frosting and caramel sauce.
They’re perfect for your valentine or all the chocolate lovers in your life and that sea salt on top *chefs kiss*.

I also have a chocolate caramel cake! And for more chocolate desserts, my chocolate ganache cake is a fan favorite. It can also be made using my 6 inch cake recipe (halve the recipe for the ganache).

chocolate caramel cupcakes topped with sea salt

Ingredients you’ll need:

Oil: any neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, etc. will work.
Sugar: I use granulated sugar in my cupcakes and I don’t recommend substituting it or reducing the amount.
Vanilla: I use extract in this recipe.
Eggs: always use large, room temperature eggs. Place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold.
Flour: I usually use cake flour for cupcakes but for chocolate cupcakes, I just use regular all-purpose flour. Either works fine.
- I also HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is almost always over measured.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: I use both since there’s a little coffee in the cupcakes – if you skip the coffee and use hot water, you can do just 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and no baking soda.
Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods. I like using fine sea salt for baking and topping with flakey sea salt.
Coffee: I use a homemade Americano but brewed coffee, cold brew or instant coffee are fine. Water also works.
Milk Chocolate: I use Nestle or Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips but any type of milk chocolate works fine.
Cream: I use heavy whipping cream to make the ganache. If you’re looking for a percentage, I recommend 36-40%.
Caramel: I HIGHLY recommend homemade salted caramel sauce. There’s truly no store-bought caramel that is the same or close to as good.
- I increased the amount of butter in this caramel sauce recipe to make it slightly thicker so it doesn’t drip off the cupcake too much.

chocolate caramel cupcakes with a bite taken out

Step-by-Step Instructions

Salted Caramel Sauce

STEP 1: Heat the water and sugar on the stovetop until it turns into an amber color. Remove from the heat.

STEP 2: Add the butter and whisk until it’s combined. Then add the heavy cream and whisk until it’s smooth (if the edges of the pan have crusty sugar, leave that behind, don’t try to whisk it in).

STEP 3: Pour the caramel into a heat safe bowl and add the salt and vanilla, whisking just until they’re combined. Cover and allow to cool completely to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator.

add cream to sugar syrup — sugar turning into an amber color

Chocolate Cupcakes

STEP 1: Make the chocolate cupcakes by whisking together the dry ingredients with the sugar.

STEP 2: In a large bowl whisk together the oil, eggs and coffee until it’s all combined.

STEP 3: Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and whisk just until it’s fully combined and smooth.

STEP 4: Scoop cupcake batter into 13-14 lined cupcake tins – they should be ⅔-¾ full, about 50-55 grams of batter; (the 1-2 extra can wait if you only have one muffin pan).

Chocolate Ganache

STEP 1: Heat the heavy whipping cream on the stove, in a small pot, over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer.

STEP 2: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and cover for a few minutes.

STEP 3: Use a whisk or a fork to mix the chocolate and cream until it comes together and is completely smooth.

STEP 4: Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature until it’s completely set.

hot cream on top of chopped chocolate — pour the hot cream on top

chopped chocolate in a bowl — pour the hot cream on top

Assemble

STEP 1: Use a cupcake corer or just a knife to cut a hole in the center of the cupcakes.

STEP 2: Fill in the hole with the salted caramel sauce – make sure the caramel is completely cooled when doing this.

STEP 3: Pipe the chocolate ganache on top and top with another drizzle of salted caramel sauce and flakey sea salt.

fill cupcakes with salted caramel filling

cupcakes frosted with chocolate ganache and topped with caramel sauce

FAQs

What kind of milk chocolate to use?

I just use Nestle or Ghirardelli chips but any milk chocolate is fine.

How to get that perfect dome on the cupcake?

My secret to perfect cupcakes is my digital scale! If you overfill or under-fill the muffin pans you may get a cupcake with a muffin top or a shriveled sunken cupcake but if you weigh them, you’ll get it right each time (at least with my recipes). Each cupcake should hold 50-55 grams of batter.

Can I make these cupcake dairy free?

You can use dairy free butter, dairy free milk/cream to make these cupcakes.

Can I make these cupcakes gluten-free?

I have not tested my cupcake recipes but all my cake recipes work well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.

How do I know when cupcakes are done baking?

The cupcakes are done baking when they no longer look wet in the center and you gently press on the tallest area of the cupcake and it springs back. If it feels wet and stays pressed in, give it another few minutes before testing again.

How to serve and store chocolate caramel cupcakes

Serve the cupcakes fresh or leave them at a cool room temperature for 1-2 days.

To refrigerate, make sure to cover the cupcakes with a cake dome or store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

To freeze it, place them in an airtight container and then place the container in an airtight bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

chocolate cupcakes filled with caramel sauce and frosted with chocolate ganache

If you make these chocolate caramel cupcakes, I would love it if you left me a review or a star rating!

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Chocolate Caramel Cupcake Recipe

Bernice Baran

4.67 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 18

Additional Time 1

Total Time 2 33

Course Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings cupcakes

Calories 414 kcal

Equipment