Cakes rich with cocoa and flavoured with salted caramel are topped with a divine salted caramel buttercream. These salted caramel chocolate cupcakes are a real crowd pleaser.
Here we go, cupcakes yet again! Am I developing a cupcake theme for We Should Cocoa, I wonder? It’s practicality that does it this time. I’m due to take in some cakes to work for Children in Need. And cupcakes are the easiest to transport on the trek there as I have to go by train and foot. They’re also easier for people to eat at their desks.
Salted Caramel
It’s the third We Should Cocoa challenge and Chele has chosen caramel. When I found out, I was excited but also rather nervous, a definite challenge for me this time.
First, what exactly is meant by caramel? Well it seems virtually anything goes: boiled sugar on its own or a combination of boiled sugar with water and maybe added butter or cream. Hum! Last time I attempted making caramel for this chocolate and caramel salted tart, I burnt it and it tasted horribly bitter. I didn’t want to make that mistake again.
In the end I adapted a recipe for salted caramel buttercream from Fiona Cairns’s Bake & Decorate. Once the caramel is boiling, Fiona Cairns advises us to “watch it like a hawk”. I did that for a while, but soon got bored as it took a lot longer to caramelise than “a few minutes”. Luckily, I caught it this time before it burnt.
It’s best to warm cream before adding it to hot caramel or the mixture is likely to seize. If it does, just stir vigorously for a while until it goes smooth. You can find out more about making caramel in my blood orange caramel sauce recipe.
The salted caramel was a success. Hoorah, what a relief. And the buttercream is very good indeed.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
I know I’m meant to be baking these cakes for work, but I had to try one for quality control purposes. And then CT had a hard day at work and felt he couldn’t survive without one either. So it was only ten cupcakes that made their way to my work place.
The photos don’t really do these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes justice. Grey days and dark nights just don’t do a lot for my photography skills.
The buttercream is delicious, sweet and caramely and is really lifted by the salt. I’m not normally a great fan of buttercream, but this is exceptionally good. I licked the bowl clean and reckoned it was the best buttercream I’ve yet made.
The cakes are rich with cocoa and not too sweet which makes a good foil for the topping. Both cake and buttercream are delicious in their own right, but together they’re more than the sum of their parts.
In fact they were so good, I adapted them to make the best sea salted caramel birthday cake ever.
Other Salted Caramel Recipes You Might Like
- Birthday salted caramel chocolate cake
- Cornish sea salted caramel brownies
- Dark chocolate salted caramel popcorn
- Salted caramel chocolate milkshake
- Salted caramelised almond chocolates
- Vegan salted caramel sauce
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making these cakes?
I’d very much appreciate it if you could rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, please use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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If you’d like more cupcake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes. PIN IT.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes – The Recipe
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- 200 g golden granulated sugar (7oz) (I used vanilla sugar)
- 180 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp sea or rock salt (I used pink Himalayan rock salt)
Cakes
- 140 g unsalted butter (5oz) softened
- 125 g light muscovado sugar (4oz)
- salted caramel
- 2 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- 125 g flour (4oz) (half wholemeal, half plain)
- 30 g cocoa powder (1oz)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Buttercream
- 85 g salted butter (3oz) softened
- 125 g icing sugar (4oz)
- salted caramel
Instructions
Salted Caramel
- In a large pan and over a low heat, dissolve the sugar in 100ml of water.200 g golden granulated sugar
- Bring to the boil and "watch like a hawk" until the mixture caramelises. It will take several minutes, but be careful not to let it burn. You're looking for a dark golden colour.
- In a separate pan, bring the cream to a near boil then add to the caramel and stir until smooth. If you don’t warm the cream first the caramel is likely to seize. If this happens, just keep stirring hard and eventually it should become smooth.180 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- Add the vanilla and salt then stir well. Leave to cool whilst you get on with the cakes.1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp sea or rock salt
Cakes
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.140 g unsalted butter, 125 g light muscovado sugar
- Beat in half the caramel.
- Break in the eggs one by one and beat well.2 large eggs
- Sift in the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.125 g flour, 30 g cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Spoon into 12 cupcake cases and bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 20 minutes or until well risen and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Buttercream
- Cream the butter and icing sugar together until it’s very light and fluffy.85 g salted butter, 125 g icing sugar
- Beat in the remaining caramel.
- Spread on top of the cooled cakes and decorate with chocolate if you like.
glennamy says
These look so scrummy! There is not a better word in the world!
Tracy K Nixon says
These look amazing – great to see you are generous with your toppings too!
Helen Swales says
Wow; these are amazing, guess what I’ll be doing on my next day off work, baking yeeehaaaa
Maya Russell says
Lovely recipe. Apparently Pink Himalayan rock salt has lots of minerals and is so much more better than sea salt.
Choclette says
Northern Snippet – glad the almond cake turned out well. I’ve just posted the brownie recipe.
Northern Snippet says
The chocolate and almond was lovely thanks!
Interested to see the gluten free brownie recipe,haven’t come across a particularly successful one yet!
Choclette says
Joanna, you’ve summed it up very nicely thank you.
joanna says
I love caramel and chocolate and I love those cakes. What more can I say? Fabulous!
Choclette says
Nic – they are indeed a great combination. It would be great if you can find time, but no pressure if you can’t.
Nicisme says
I love this month’s theme, not sure I have time to do it mind!
These are perfect, caramel and chocolate is a winner.
Choclette says
Northern Snippet – If you check out my label “gluten free” you’ll find three chocolate cake recipes – the chocolate and almond being a particularly fine one. I shall also be posting a gluten free brownie recipe in the next day or so.
C – thank you for making me feel these cupcakes were the right choice after all.
C says
I’m all about cupcakes again at the moment and yours look amazing. The chocolate cake looks so rich and dark and moist and that buttercream looks smooth and lush!
Very impressed at you making your own salted caramel – yum! I’m sure I would have wandered off for far too long, I once lost a pan of toffee by doing that…pale, pale, pale…… black….sigh!!!
Cupcakes are definitely the ultimate portable cakes for people to eat at work – no messing with knives!
Northern Snippet says
Long shot but I don’t suppose you’ve come across any decent gluten free chocolate cake recipes?
Jacqueline says
Wow, those sound good Choclette, I think I will have to make these too. Mmmmmmmm 😛
On the topic of caramel, I have a really easy and tasty one for you to try. You make it by melting caramel toffees and adding cream. The quantities are on my toffee-pecan-brownies post.
Choclette says
Chele – true I was a little apprehensive, but thank goodness the caramel was perfect. So thanks to you for getting me to do it.
CC – now wishing I had just put a big blob of caramel in the middle of the cakes to emulate a rolo – next time.
Kath – thanks. This recipe did make an awful lot of buttercream – normally I’m a lot meaner. But it was particularly good buttercream, so I’m glad I was able to be generous.
Sushma – thank you, the frosting was a good one.
Gillian – that’s the salt I always use in my cakes – mostly because it’s the only fine salt I have.
Johanna – if I can make caramel successfully, I’m very sure you can. If inspiration hits, it would be lovely if you entered, but no worries if not.
Suelle – I’m new to the salty caramel taste too, but now I’ve discovered it, I’ve become almost addicted.
Ananda – you and me both 🙂
Buttaz – I’m amazed just how long it took me to discover it. Would be great if you did feel up to entering something.
FreeRangeGirl – yes, it’s quite surprising how a little bit of salt can make such a difference.
BVG – thanks. Made up your mind yet?
Baking Addict – look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Postzoom – thanks for the invite
Maggie – indeed, it would have been very hard not to lick spoon and bowl clean.
BlackBook – thanks, they certainly disappeared pretty fast at work.
CityHippy – Muscovado sugar used to only be available in health food shops here, now it’s everywhere.
Dr Sameena – thanks
Emma – do let me know if you try this one and what you think. or another.
Celia – you can repeat yourself as much as you like, it’s always good to hear from you.
Nic – thanks for the weblink and guess I ought to check out the Tesco comp – but even though these photos aren’t very good, my decorating skills leave a lot to be desired.
nic@nipitinthebud says
ooh, scrummy. You should enter them in the Tesco Christmas cupcake decorating competition
Had popped over to tell you about the Chocolate Festival – saw it and thought of you.
celia says
I know I’m repeating myself, but dark choc and caramel is a match made in heaven! 🙂
Emma @CakeMistress says
Have been dying to try a great caramel buttercream for ages, and this one looks fabulous. It’s such a great match with chocolate, yum….
<br><br><br><br><br>Dr.Sameena Prathap says
Hi,That looks amazing…Going to follow you or subscribe…:)
cityhippyfarmgirl says
Now these look just a little wicked. Muscavado sugar I am seriously in love with, but I have trouble getting it.
blackbookkitchendiaries says
oh yummy! they looks totally irresistable:)
Maggie says
The cakes look delicious. I would have licked the spoon and the bowl clean!
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Baking Addict says
Looks great! I was also thinking of salted caramel for my challenge but haven’t got round to it yet!
Brownieville Girl says
They look fantastic – I can’t decide what to make for the challenge – I change my mind about five times a day!!!
freerangegirl says
These sound great. I love salted caramel – the taste of Snickers after all! I agree that the salt really lifts the flavor to another dimension – heavenly!
Buttaz says
I love salted caramel absolutely amazing. Why did the world take so long to discover it?
Looks like a great combination with the chocolate cupcakes.
I really must do one of the I should Cocoa challenges myself.
Ananda Rajashekar says
Caramel is my new love all i want to eat these days is only with caramel Thanks for the recipe lady 🙂
Suelle says
These look really good. I haven’t tried salty caramel flavours yet, but could be tempted by these!
Johanna GGG says
I love chocolate and caramel but am not brave about making my own caramel – usually use a tin of condensed milk – and usually use the combination in chocolate caramel slice (like millionaire’s shortbread) have been wondering if I can get inspired to enter but am just enjoying admiring your cupcakes at the moment!
Gillian says
Pink Himalayan rock salt – hmmm sounds wonderful
Sushma Mallya says
Those look very delicious esp the frosting on the cake:)
Kath says
That cut cupcake looks so delicious! I am loving how thickly you have spread the frosting. I also love your description of watching like a hawk and then wandering off. That is me all over when I attempt caramel or toffee. Unsurprisingly I often get it wrong – not cooked enough or overcooked.
The Caked Crusader says
Oh yum – chocolate and caramel, you can’t go wrong! Basically, it’s like Rolos in cake form!!!
Chele says
How good do they look!!! YUM. Love the decorations on top. Very impressed with your efforts, especially considering that caramel from scratch was not your favourite task ;0)