Chocolate Caramel Surprise Cupcakes is a chocolate cupcake with a caramel nougat center topped with a chocolate and caramel swirl buttercream.
Chocolate cake is pretty much my favorite thing right now. Any time I have a craving it involves chocolate cake. So yesterday when the kids all asked me what we were making for a special dessert, special because there was no school and they had friends over, I naturally had to involve my favorite chocolate cake.
With 12 mini-chefs ready to assist we “accomplished” and I say accomplished, as with this many helpers the fact we came out with a finished and tasty cupcake was no short of a miracle.
So here is an original recipe from our chef filled kitchen, rich Chocolate Caramel Surprise Cupcakes: a chocolate cupcake with a caramel nougat center topped with a chocolate caramel buttercream.
Enjoy! XOXO San and kids: Aiden, Madden, Jersey, Jojo, Cannon and their friends Bradon, Isaac, Emmett, Audrey, Izabella, Gabbie, Claire, little Isaac and baby Adelle
How do you make Chocolate Caramel Surprise Cupcakes?
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liner cupcake pans with 16 cupcake liners.
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Mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended. Add batter in cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool completely, and using a teaspoon remove the center of the cupcake. Discard centers, by eating them (smile).
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Cream butter, caramel, and marshmallow cream together. Add vanilla and mix in powdered sugar until filling is at desired sweetness and consistency (should be like a thick caramel). To get the right consistency add more powdered sugar and/or caramel until you get the taste and consistency you desire.
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Using a frosting bag or tablespoon, fill the center of the cupcakes with the filling. Fill all the way and just a little bit over the top. The filling will sink a tad after sitting.
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Cream together butter and vanilla with a mixer. Slowly blend in cocoa powder then sugar one cup at a time. Beat in milk until light and fluffy. Add more milk or sugar as needed until you get the desired consistency. Keep covered until ready to frost.
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Spoon buttercream into one side of a piping bag, or a Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Scrape caramel topping one tablespoon at a time into the other side of the bag. Pipe onto cupcakes, you may not see the caramel at first.
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Serve once frosted, and enjoy!
Love these fun cupcakes? Try these other recipes! Easy Rocket Cupcakes, Oreo Spider Cupcakes, and these Buried Treasure Cupcakes.
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Chocolate Caramel Surprise Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Nougat Filling
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 6.5 ounces marshmallow cream
- 3 tablespoons Smuckers Caramel Topping
- 1/2 -1 cup powdered sugar
Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 4 tablespoons Smuckers Caramel Topping
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liner cupcake pans with 16 cupcake liners.
- Mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended. Add batter in cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely, and using a teaspoon remove the center of the cupcake. Discard centers, by eating them (smile).
Nougat Filling
- Cream butter, caramel, and marshmallow cream together. Add vanilla and mix in powdered sugar until filling is at desired sweetness and consistency (should be like a thick caramel). To get the right consistency add more powdered sugar and/or caramel until you get the taste and consistency you desire.
- Using a frosting bag or tablespoon, fill the center of the cupcakes with the filling. Fill all the way and just a little bit over the top. The filling will sink a tad after sitting.
Buttercream
- Cream together butter and vanilla with a mixer. Slowly blend in cocoa powder then sugar one cup at a time. Beat in milk until light and fluffy. Add more milk or sugar as needed until you get the desired consistency. Keep covered until ready to frost.
- Spoon buttercream into one side of a piping bag, or a Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Scrape caramel topping one tablespoon at a time into the other side of the bag. Pipe onto cupcakes, you may not see the caramel at first.
- Serve once frosted, and enjoy!
Kids review: The kids love this cupcake, they called it the surprise cupcake because most of them forgot that we put something in the middle. They said it was like a little present in the middle.
I loved these cupcakes.
It was so yummy and delicious I loved it. Everyone loved my cupcakes.