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Chocolate Caramel Cupcake Recipe

4.70 from 10 votes
prep 1 hour 15 minutes
cook 18 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
total 2 hours 33 minutes
Serves 14 cupcakes
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. 
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 14 cupcakes

Equipment

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 60 mL water
  • 120 mL heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 84 grams salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 120 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 
  • 40 grams unsweetened cocoa powder , (I used dutch process), spooned and leveled
  • 200 grams granulated sugar 
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 120 mL vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 180 mL hot coffee, brewed or Americano; hot water also works

Chocolate Ganache

  • 340 grams milk chocolate chips
  • 160 mL heavy whipping cream
  • flakey sea salt

Method

Salted Caramel Sauce

  1. Place the sugar and water in a medium size heavy bottom sauce pan. Swirl the pan until the sugar is immersed in water. Place the saucepan over medium heat and allow the sugar to fully dissolve in the water, gently swirling the pan every minute or so.
    200 grams granulated sugar, 60 mL water
  2. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer and reduce the heat to a medium-low. Place the lid on the pan and allow the mixture to simmer until the color begins to darken to a light amber color, this should take about 10 minutes. Make sure to remove the lid and check the color at least every minute.
  3. You can gently swirl the pan every couple of minutes but DO NOT STIR IT WITH ANYTHING. If there are crystalized pieces of sugar on the sides of the pan, the steam running down from the lid should dissolve them but if it doesn’t, you can use a pastry brush wet with water to brush them away or leave them.
  4. Once the sugar is a dark amber color, remove it from the heat. Stir in the butter until it’s melted, then add the heavy cream, whisking until the caramel is smooth. If there's crunchy bits of sugar around the edge of the pan, leave them there don't try to whisk them into the caramel sauce.
    84 grams salted butter room temperature, 120 mL heavy whipping cream room temperature
  5. Pour the caramel sauce in a heat proof jar and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Allow it to cool until it’s not piping hot, about an hour. Refrigerate until the caramel is set. 
    1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. If you’ve never made caramel sauce, make sure to read my whole post on homemade salted caramel sauce. 

Chocolate Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and line 14 muffin tins with cupcake liners (or 12, the batter for the other two can wait).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
    120 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled , 40 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dutch process), spooned and leveled, 200 grams granulated sugar , 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, eggs and coffee until they're well combined.
    120 mL vegetable oil, 2 large eggs room temperature, 180 mL hot coffee brewed or Americano; hot water also works
  4. Sift the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients and whisk just until they're completely combined and smooth.
  5. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes. When you press on the center of the cupcake it should spring back.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
  7. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache

  1. Place the milk chocolate in a large bowl and set aside.
    340 grams milk chocolate chips
  2. Place the heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it comes to a simmer (bubbling all around the edge), a few minutes.
    160 mL heavy whipping cream
  3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap for about 5 minutes, so the chocolate melts.
  4. Use a rubber spatula, whisk or fork to gently stir the ganache until they're completely smooth.
  5. Cover again and allow it to cool completely to room temperature (this can take a while). You can refrigerate to speed up the process but make sure to stir it every 5-10 minutes so it cools evenly.

Assemble

  1. Use a cupcake corer or just a knife to carve a hole in the center of the cupcake.
  2. Use a spoon or a piping bag with a small opening to fill the cupcakes with the cooled salted caramel sauce.
  3. Use a piping bag fit with a large round tip to pipe the chocolate ganache on top of the cupcake.
  4. You can either drizzle some more salted caramel sauce on top or create a divot on top of the ganache with a spoon or offset spatula and spoon the salted caramel sauce in the center. Top with flakey sea salt.
    flakey sea salt

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 3gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramel cupcakes, chocolate caramel, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate ganache