Recipes | Cupcakes | Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cupcakes

These cupcakes are sooo decadent and sooo simple.  Yes, simple.  I created these from a basic chocolate cupcake and chocolate buttercream recipe, then topped it with store-bought caramel topping and flaked sea salt.

Ingredients :
1 box of chocolate cake mix, prepared as box directs
18 white jumbo cupcake paper liners
4 sticks of butter
6 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 jar of caramel topping
1 tablespoon of sea salt

How to :

1 - Bake Chocolate Cupcakes in Jumbo or Extra Large White Cupcake Liners.  You can use a boxed cake mix to make it extra easy.   One box makes 18 large cupcakes.

2 - Chocolate Buttercream

4 sticks of soften butter
6 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and pour over heavy cream.  Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.  Repeat until the chocolate ganache (yes, that is ganache!) is smooth.  Be careful not to over heat.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes until cool.

In your kitchen aid fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter and 4 cups sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.  Pour in chocolate ganache and 2 more cups of powdered sugar.  Whip until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar, if necessary to create the thickness.

Put the buttercream in a pastry bag (or ziploc bag) and cut 1 inch opening at the bottom of the bag.  Pipe in a swirl on top of the cupcake - be very generous with frosting.

3 - Caramel Topping

Heat the jar of caramel (I used an ice cream caramel topping) for about 20 seconds just until pourable.  Drizzle over each cupcake.

4 - Sea Salt

Sprinkle over each cupcake.