Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 130 g (1 cup / 4.6oz) plain (AP) flour
• 1/2 cup (40g / 1.4oz) cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk

For the salted caramel

• 250 g (8.8oz) store-bought chewy caramels
• ½ cup thickened (heavy) cream

For the salted caramel buttercream

• 200 g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 50 g (1.8oz) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) salted caramel
• 2 1/2 cups icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (160C fan) and line your muffin tins with paper cases
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
3. In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time and beating well after each. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir through gently until just combined. Now add half of the buttermilk, Mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and buttermilk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy handed otherwise your cupcakes will turn out dense and tough.
5. Fill the cupcake cases only to about half full. Bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven half way through to make sure they bake evenly. When a skewer inserted comes out with just a crumb or two, they are done.
6. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack

https://www.sugarsaltmagic.com/salted-caramel-chocolate-cupcakes/