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Our new cupcake obsession
Cupcakes have always been something we’ve enjoyed baking, but up until recently, we actually hadn’t developed any of our own cupcake recipes. That’s mostly because it’s not all that Scandinavian! But growing up in the US, where cupcakes are a very popular treat, we have really grown to love them. That’s because it’s basically like eating a slice of cake, but in a mini-cake version. They’re also very fun to decorate and a nice way to switch things up from a regular cake.
So far, these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes are only the second cupcake recipe we’ve shared here on the blog. Our first was deliciously tart lemon poppy seed cupcakes that are filled with lemon curd and topped with buttercream. Then, we also shared a recipe for lagkage cupcakes over on our Substack, which you can access if you become a paid subscriber. We do also share weekly newsletters for our free subscribers, so make sure you sign up even if you don’t want the exclusive recipes! These cupcakes are based on a Danish birthday cake, so the sponge is vanilla, filled with raspberry jam, and topped with vanilla custard and whipped cream.
Developing a cupcake recipe
Hopefully, it’s clear in the cupcake recipes we’ve shared so far, but we aren’t fans of cupcakes that are boring, especially when they’re made up of a layer of dry cake and a layer of too-sweet buttercream. That’s why we always approach developing a cupcake recipe like developing a cake recipe. There needs to be a deliciously soft and moist sponge, a filling of some kind, and a nicely balanced buttercream. This means that all the flavors – sweet, fresh, salty, etc. – are well-balanced, and the textures are pleasant and complementary. The same goes for a cupcake!
Chocolate and caramel – the perfect pair!
We absolutely love our chocolate cake recipe, and have been wanting to turn it into a cupcake recipe for a while. So, we thought about what goes well with chocolate, and caramel came to mind immediately. But, as explained above, the flavors need to be well-balanced, and chocolate and caramel can sometimes be too sweet and rich. So that’s where salted caramel came into the picture! We also reduced the sugar slightly in the cake batter, because the buttercream on top adds a lot of sweetness, so we wanted the sponge to taste more like a brownie rather than a cake – very chocolatey. All in all, we’re really happy with how these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes turned out.
Ingredients you’ll need
The cupcakes are made up of 3 parts: the cake or sponge, then the salted caramel filling, and the buttercream on top. You can choose to replace any of these with a storebought version, but we would obviously encourage you to make them all following our recipe below. For the sponge, you’ll need: eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, flour, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, milk, and espresso or instant coffee. The reason for adding the coffee is that it brings out the chocolate flavor, but you can omit it and replace it with warm milk or water instead. Also, if you don’t want to use vegetable oil, you can use olive oil instead.
For the filling, you’ll need unsalted butter, sugar, heavy cream, and salt. It is possible to make the salted caramel with cream alternatives (such as Elmlea in the UK). We would recommend using unsalted butter, just so you can control the salt that you add, but if you use salted, just hold back a little bit on the salt. For the buttercream, you’ll need butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, and leftover caramel filling.
How to make our salted caramel chocolate cupcakes
We start by making the salted caramel filling, which is pretty simple but can seem intimidating. Heat up the sugar slowly in a saucepan until it dissolves, then wait for it to turn a dark amber color. You can stir it a little bit if needed, but watch out for crystallization, as this can make things more difficult. Once it turns a dark amber, add the butter, and then the cream. Whisk well until you have a smooth sauce. Finally, add salt and pour this into a bowl to cool in the fridge until ready to use.
Then, it’s time to make the cupcakes themselves, and since this is an oil-based cake, we start by whipping the eggs and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Then, alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients until you have a nice and smooth batter. Divide this into 12 cupcakes, filling them only about halfway to three-quarters of the way, as they’ll rise when they bake. Bake and let them cool.
When you’re ready to fill and decorate, make your buttercream. Whip the butter until lightened in color and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar. Keep whipping so it continues to get fluffy and glossy, then add the vanilla paste. Core out the middle of the cupcakes and fill with salted caramel. Once you’ve filled all 12, add the rest of the salted caramel to the buttercream and mix well. Pipe buttercream on top of the cupcakes, and decorate however you like. We make a small well in the buttercream and fill it with a quick chocolate ganache, but sprinkles or chocolate candy are also good options. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
These cupcakes are rich and chocolatey, with a salted caramel filling that packs a punch of flavor, and a smooth, silky buttercream on top.
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 135 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 80 grams cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 60 ml coffee or espresso (you can also dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee in 60 ml water)
- 60 ml milk
SALTED CARAMEL
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 85 grams unsalted butter
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
BUTTERCREAM
- 226 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 240 grams powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Leftover salted caramel filling
DECORATION
- Chocolate shavings, mini chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, sprinkles, flaky sea salt
- For a quick chocolate ganache (as pictured) you'll need chocolate and heavy cream
Instructions
SALTED CARAMEL
- First, make the salted caramel sauce by melting the granulated sugar in a saucepan until it turns amber and all the sugar crystals have dissolved.
- Add the butter and cream while whisking, and heat to 104C or 220F. Add salt and remove from the heat to let cool. Transfer to a bowl or container to let it fully cool in the fridge.
CUPCAKES
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Prepare a cupcake/muffin tin by lining it with paper or silicone liners, or buttering/spraying it to make sure nothing sticks.
- Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar together until light in color and doubled or tripled in size. Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or an electric hand mixer – it will be more difficult to whisk by hand, but it can be done!
- Add in vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine oil, coffee, and milk in a separate bowl or container.
- Alternate mixing in the dry and wet ingredients to the batter, adding in half the ingredients each time. Be sure to sift in the dry ingredients to avoid lumps. Mix on low speed between additions.
- Once the batter is combined, pour it into the cupcake tin. Fill each cupcake up about halfway, and if you have leftover batter at the end, distribute it evenly among them. This is the best way to avoid cupcakes that are too domed.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. It can be hard to tell when chocolate cake is done, but try not to overbake or the cake may be dry! Definitely check the cupcakes after 15 minutes since ovens can vary greatly.
BUTTERCREAM AND ASSEMBLY
- Make your buttercream by whipping your room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Once it has considerably lightened in color, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Keep mixing until you have incorporated the sugar fully and the mixture looks light and fluffy. Keep the buttercream in the mixing bowl as you'll add salted caramel after filling the cupcakes!
- Remove the core of the cupcakes, either with a knife or another tool like an apple corer. We remove about a 1in (2.5cm) diameter hole from the cupcake Fill each hole with salted caramel filling – about 1.5-2 tsp worth.
- Once all 12 cupcakes are filled, add the remaining salted caramel to the buttercream, mixing until fully incorporated and a nice, silky smooth consistency.
- Pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Decorate however you like, with sprinkles or candy. We make a small hole in the buttercream on top and then add a quick chocolate ganache, for a classy and simple look.
- For the super quick ganache: Melt chocolate in the microwave and then stir in heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency – we wanted something that you could easily spoon on top of the cupcake, but wouldn't run off the sides. Usually we would measure equal parts chocolate and cream, but sometimes just winging it is fun too 😂 We let the ganache cool off so it doesn't melt the buttercream, but still has some runniness to it. The ganache will set up as it cools down more!
- Enjoy the cupcakes the day you make them, but be sure to store any leftovers you have in the fridge if keeping for multiple days.
