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Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting


When I received an invitation to my friend’s New Years Eve party, I immediately knew I wanted to try some sort of chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting.

Afterall, everyone loves the salty sweet combination, and even if they didn’t like it, since it’s New Years Eve they should have consumed enough alcohol to pretend to like it. Fortunately for me, there was no pretending, and guests were even asking if they could take cupcakes home with them. Success!

Since I already have the perfect (and one bowl!) chocolate cupcake recipe [1], I used that. For the frosting, I spent a bit of time Googling different recipes and finally decided on Chockylit’s recipe. It was a little time consuming because you have to make the salted caramel before starting the frosting, but it’s definitely well worth the time it took.

Photos of the process here [2].

In other news, notice the bright blue background and lack of kitchen sink in the photo? My parents bought me this mini photo studio [3] for Hanukkah, so now I can post photos that don’t include my ugly stained Formica counter top. You can thank me (and my parents) later.

Salted Caramel Ingredients
4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

  1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
  2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
  3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
  5. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
  6. Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
  7. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
  8. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Salted Caramel Frosting Ingredients
2 sticks butter
8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup salted caramel

  1. Bring butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
  2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
  3. Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
  4. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
  5. Sift 2-3 cups of powder sugar, in 1 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire. (I used a total of 6 cups and it was easy to pipe.)

Frosting recipe from Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit [4].