Salted Caramel Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes
I posted about these cupcakes a while ago but never did a stand alone post with the recipe. We have a yearly Summer potluck picnic at the beach with great friends who are really good cooks! Which means the food is always delicious. Lisa made these salted caramel frosted chocolate cupcakes for our July Fourth Beach Picnic – hence the pin wheels and red, white and blue decor!
These cupcakes are splurge worthy!
When I asked Lisa to share her recipe, I was surprised that she had “doctored” a box cake mix for the cupcakes. Music to my baking ears! I like a baking short cut, especially when I am short on time and may not have everything in my pantry.
The frosting is not super sweet but just right and the drizzled caramel sauce is a really nice addition.
For more recipes from our picnic plus a Downloadable Picnic Packing List, check out the July Fourth Beach Picnic post and the delicious Blueberry Limeade cocktail recipe. It was a huge hit!
Pin this Recipe for Later on Pinterest!
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 package 18.25oz Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 1 package instant chocolate pudding
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup caramel sauce used Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel caramel sauce
- 4 cups powdered sugar Lisa used less sugar then called for
- Rolo Chocolate caramel candy for garnish - Optional
Instructions
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven 350° degrees F
- Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper muffin cup liners
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment combine the sour cream, oil, eggs, water and vanilla. Add the cake and pudding mixes until all combined.
- Evenly divide the batter among the pre-lined muffin tins. I like to use an ice cream scoop.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top is springy to touch.
- Cool thoroughly on a wire rack
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the salted caramel and beat until combined.Â
- Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it has all been incorporated.Â
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional two to three minutes, until light and fluffy.
- either pipe the frosting on the cupcakes or using an offset spatula spread the frosting on the cupcakes. drizzle the salted caramel sauce
- Optional, top each one with a Rolo candy