Salted Caramel Topped Chocolate Cupcakes Food

SKY-HIGH SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cupcakes as directed on box; cool completely on cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and well combined. Using melon baller, scoop out center of each cupcake about 1 inch deep. Fill each cupcake with 1 tablespoon filling.
• To make Salted Caramel Buttercream: In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until combined; beat in vanilla. In large microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and 1 tablespoon of the milk uncovered on High about 1 minute or until caramels are melted; stir until smooth. Stir caramel mixture and kosher salt into buttercream mixture until combined, adding remaining milk until smooth and spreadable.
• In small bowl, mix chopped pecans and crushed pretzels. Place buttercream in large decorating bag fitted with large open star tip. Frost 1 cupcake at a time with buttercream, then roll immediately in pecan mixture. Repeat with remaining cupcakes, frosting and rolling in pecan mixture.
• Drizzle cupcakes with caramel topping. Sprinkle with additional kosher salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

SALTED CARAMEL-TOPPED CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs and spinach purée with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about three-fourths full.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, spread about 2 tablespoons whipped topping on each cupcake; drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon caramel topping. Sprinkle with sea salt.

SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole cake tin with paper cases.
• Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Briefly mix in the flour until just combined, and stir in the milk until the batter just falls off the beaters.
• Divide the mixture between the cases, leaving about 2 tbsp batter in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce if it's not salted caramel, then add ½ tsp to the tops of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to cover the caramel sauce with the remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 mins until springy and golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar together, then tip in the remaining icing sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and fluffy. Stir in half of the caramel sauce, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a round or star nozzle.
• Pipe swirls of icing on top of the cooled cupcakes. Stir the remaining caramel sauce with a pinch of salt, if unsalted, then use to drizzle over the icing. Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt over each, if you like.

SALTED CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
• Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until blended. Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into lightly greased miniature muffin pans.
• Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• Microwave semisweet chocolate and 1/4 cup whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in 2 tablespoons whipping cream until smooth. Dip tops of cupcakes in chocolate mixture, and let stand until chocolate is set (about 30 minutes). Pipe or spread Salted Caramel Buttercream onto cupcakes. Garnish, if desired.
• Salted Caramel Buttercream:.
• Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.
• Melt caramels with 1 tablespoons milk in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Fold caramel mixture into buttercream, creating swirls. (Do not completely blend.).
• Note: To prepare regular-size cupcakes, spoon batter into 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 350º for 22 to 24 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool and decorate as desired. Makes 2 dozen.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending 1 pkg. dry pudding mix into batter before spooning into prepared muffin cups. Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
• Use small sharp knife to cut 1-1/4-inch-wide hole in top of each cupcake, being careful to not cut through to bottom of cake. Fill holes with caramel topping; cover with cupcake tops.
• Melt chocolate as directed on package; cool slightly. Beat remaining pudding mix, milk and powdered sugar in large bowl with whisk 2 min.; stir in COOL WHIP. Spread frosting onto cupcakes; drizzle with chocolate. Sprinkle with salt.

SALTED-CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting sour cream for 1/2 cup of the water. Stir in chopped chocolate. Bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pan 10 min. Remove from pan to wire racks; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, microwave 18 caramels, 2 Tbsp. water and salt in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir. Microwave 30 sec. more; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 10-sec. increments until caramels are completely melted. Cool 10 min.
• Add half the caramel sauce to COOL WHIP in medium bowl; stir gently until blended. Repeat with remaining caramel sauce. Refrigerate 30 min.
• Spread cupcakes with COOL WHIP mixture, adding about 2 Tbsp. to each. Melt remaining caramels with remaining water; cool 5 min., then drizzle over cupcakes.