Gourmet Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes - Recipe

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder into a medium bowl. Mix in the bittersweet chocolate. In an electric mixer, or large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk to the butter mixture on low speed and blend well. Then add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotate pan in the oven and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool cupcakes completely.

Caramel filling/frosting:
1/4 vanilla bean, seeds only
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp caramel sauce
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

2. Slice the bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds using a paring knife. Discard the husk and set the seeds aside. In an electric mixer, or large bowl, beat the butter and vegetable shortening on medium speed until creamy. Add the vanilla seeds and mix for a few seconds on medium speed. In a separate bowl, sift the icing sugar. Add the icing sugar to the butter mixture on low speed until it begins to incorporate. Warm the caramel sauce (make sure it is warm, not hot). Add the warmed caramel sauce and the vanilla extract and beat on medium to high speed until fully incorporated. Using an apple or cupcake corer make a well in the center of each cupcake. Fill a piping bag with the caramel frosting. Snip a dime (or slightly smaller) sized hole in the piping bag tip. Fill the well of each cupcake and make a single layer of frosting on top of each cupcake.

Chocolate frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3. In an electric mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and vegetable shortening on medium speed until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder together. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder to the butter mixture on low speed until it begins to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and beat at medium to high speed until fully incorporated. Fill a piping bag with a large open round tip. Frost a second layer of frosting on top of the caramel layer of frosting, on each cupcake. Finish with a drizzling of caramel sauce.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes