Just reading the title makes me salivate… are you drooling yet? I've long been a fan of the salted-caramel hot chocolates from my local Starbucks every time Christmas rolls around – I get everybody around me hooked on them! The combination of rich chocolate, sweet caramel, and salt gets me everytime. This recipe is a winner, and I would rate it a medium on a scale of beginner chef to crazy cool intense chef. Medium. ie. A beginner can try it, but read carefully and DO NOT cut corners on anything… Ready?

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Salted Caramel Filling (recipe follows)
• Sea salt, preferably fleur de sel, for garnish
• Dark Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Salted Caramel Filling Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

Dark Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled**

* I still do not have Dutch-process cocoa powder, instead I use natural cocoa
** The best way to melt the chocolate is in a double boiler, or in a heat-proof boil placed OVER boiling water.

Method

The cupcakes

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line mini muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  With mixer on low speed, add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat until smooth and combined.

2 Spoon the batter into liners about two-thirds full. Bake approximately 15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Transfer tins to wire racks and allow to cool for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 1 month in air tight containers.

3 To finish, use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece (about 1/2 inch deep) from the center of each cupcake and throw away the pieces. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons warm Salted Caramel Filling into each hollowed-out cupcake. You will notice the caramel will sink into the cupcake a little, just fill it up a bit more. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.

4 Use a pastry bag (or ziploc bag if you're MacGuiver) with a medium open-star tip (I used Wilton #18) and pipe Dark Chocolate Frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in airtight containers – do NOT refrigerate. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Filling

1 Heat sugar with the water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high, stirring occasionally, until syrup is clear; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan and stop stirring.

2 Cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and just reaches 360°F. Remove rom heat and slowly pour in cream; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in sea salt. Use immediately; if caramel begins to harden reheat gently until pourable.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

1 Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved.

2 With electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture.

3 Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month in an air tight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth again.

I made the cupcakes last week and put them in the freezer, so I wouldn't have to worry about it today. I just took them out of the freezer and into the fridge last night, and they were perfect for today. In the future, I would definitely pre-make the frosting and refrigerate/freeze it as well. It was a hot and humid day today, and my frosting turned into soup, I think my butter was too soft and the melted chocolate was taking forever to cool down. All I did was stick in the fridge for about 30 minutes and beat it on low until it was perfect. This was my second time making caramel and it turned out perfect this time. Last time I burnt it. Bleh.

Anyway, I hope you make this scrumptious recipe, it is so good, although a bit time consuming, it's perfect do in little bits and then bring it all together when you have time! I made these for my friend's rehearsal dinner tonight, and I let her try one of my rejects (the pretty ones went in the box for tonight!) and she's obsessed with them. As am I. And I know J will love them too… oh man, I'll be making these forever….!

xoxo

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes!