Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe combines rich chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade caramel in the smoothest buttercream and it’s a recipe your guests are going to be asking for! The flavor comes from our Regenerative Organic Certified® Raw Cane and Regenerative Organic Certified® Powdered Sugar.

Prep Time

30 Minutes

Bake Time

25 minutes

Yields

12 cupcakes

Meet the Chef: Emily Griffin

Meet Emily, a passionate baker and cook originally from Pittsburgh, now calling Houston home. With a culinary legacy from family cooks, she launched My Messy Kitchen to share cherished family recipes. Over time, Emily started crafting her own creations, discovering a deep love for cooking and baking.

Ingredients


For the cupcakes

  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 1 cup Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Certified® Raw Cane Sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
     

For the caramel

  • 1 cup Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Certified® Raw Cane Sugar
  • 6 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 c heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp flaky salt
     

For the caramel buttercream

  • 1 cup salted butter, room temperature 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt 
  • 4 cups Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Certified® Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce
     

Instructions

For the cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the melted butter, oil, vanilla, hot coffee and sugar. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the sifted dry ingredients.

Step 2

Continue with the mixer on low and add the egg and buttermilk. Mix until just combined.

Step 3

Fill the 12 muffin tins with the batter, filling about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until baked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the caramel

Step 4

In a heavy small saucepan add the sugar and cook over medium heat. Stir every 1-2 minutes or so until it begins to melt (the sugar will start to clump up before melting). Do not walk away from the sugar because it can quickly burn! This process will take 10-15 minutes.

Step 5

Once the sugar is completely melted and has turned an amber color, immediately remove from the heat. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the butter until combined (be careful the mixture will bubble up) then add in the heavy cream and salt and mix until fully combined and smooth. It will not immediately combine, so continue to whisk until smooth. Pour the caramel into a heat proof jar or bowl to cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.

For the buttercream

Step 6

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add in the heavy cream and caramel sauce and mix until totally incorporated. Add additional heavy cream, 1 tbsp at a time, to reach desired consistency.

For assembly

Step 7

Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip. Pipe the buttercream onto each of the cupcakes and before serving drizzle with additional caramel and top with flaky sea salt. Store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days! The caramel can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Tips

Do not walk away from this caramel sauce because it can go from sugar to burnt so quickly! Continue to stir and you will achieve amazing caramel every time!

Room temperature ingredients blend more easily and result in a smoother batter and frosting.

Sift dry ingredients, this helps break up any clumps and ensures an evenly textured batter.

YOU CAN ALSO TRULY NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN THE BAKED GOODS WHEN CHOOSING FLORIDA CRYSTALS® VS. ANOTHER BRAND.

- THE BANANA DIARIES, BRAND PARTNER

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