A chocolate sponge filled with caramel, topped with either chocolate or caramel buttercream and decorated with an open caramel egg. If you love caramel, this recipe is for you.
I love love LOVE caramel so making cupcakes based around a caramel egg was a must for me.
I decided to not go too over-board and went with a chocolate cake instead of a caramel one (let me know if you want to see caramel cupcakes in the comments below) but do not fear, there is still a gooey, pure caramel center to the cupcake!
When thinking about making these cupcakes originally, I could not decided whether I wanted to use caramel or chocolate buttercream so in the end I went for both! It is totally up to you if you want to use the chocolate, the caramel or use both like me but whatever you want, I've got you covered.
DISCLAIMER: I want to be able to keep my recipes easy and simple so that they are not too complicated for a range of baking abilities to follow. This being the case, the caramel used in this recipe is shop-bought. If you want to see a 'how to make caramel' recipe from me at a later date, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
These cupcakes would be the most delicious last-minute addition to your Easter weekend. If you decide to bake them, make sure to tag me on Instagram or Twitter! You can find my socials via the links at either the top or the bottom of the page. Comment how many times the word 'caramel' is used in this recipe on my most recent Instagram post.
Happy Easter!
This recipe makes 6 large cupcakes. If you are wanting more or less, feel free to adapt the recipe to meet your preferred batch size.
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes ~
> 100g unsalted or baking butter
> 50g soft brown sugar
> 50g caster sugar
> 2 medium eggs
> 100g self raising flour
> 25g cocoa powder
> 1tsp instant coffee
> 2tbsp water
> 2tsp syrup
For the icing ~
> 250g icing sugar
> 150g unsalted butter
> 5tsp double cream
> 2tsp cocoa powder
> 1 1/2 tsp caramel
For decoration ~
> 3 caramel eggs
> roughly 6tsp caramel
Method:
Step 1 > Pre-heat the oven to 180c and line a cupcake tin with 6 cupcake cases.
Step 2 > Weigh out the butter and soften it using the back of a wooden spoon. Add in both the sugars and cream together with the butter until light and fluffy.
Step 3 > In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar slowly, mixing as you pour. Whisk until combined.
Step 4 > Using a sieve, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Remember to do this bit-by-bit to avoid any large flour pockets in your mixture.
Step 5 > In a small dish or mug, add the coffee and water to create a paste and mix into your cake batter along with 2tsp of syrup. Mix these in with the rest of the mixture.
Step 6 > Evenly divide the chocolate batter into the 6 cupcake cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
Step 7 > For the icing... weigh out the butter and cream until soft and smooth. Once ready, sift in the icing sugar and mix together until binded. To make your buttercream super light, you can whisk it using an electric whisk or handheld whisk for about 5 minutes on a medium-to-low speed. As you are whisking, add 3tsp of double cream, a tsp at a time. This will make it softer and easier to work with.
Step 8 > Split the buttercream into two bowls. In one, add 1 1/2 tsp of caramel and in the other sift in the cocoa powder. I used 2tsp of cocoa powder but it is totally up to you, depending on how chocolate-y you want the icing to be. You will need to add 2tsp or more double cream to the chocolate buttercream as it will be drier after adding the powder.
Step 9 > Add each buttercream into a piping bag with whatever nozzles you choose. I chose two large-ish ones and made half rosettes and half dollops. Set these aside whilst your cakes cool.
Step 10 > In preparation for the decoration, you will need to cut your 3 caramel eggs in half. Also set these aside.
Step 11 > Once your cupcakes have cooled for at least 40 minutes and are cool to touch, the first thing you will need to do is make a large hole in the center of the cupcake. You can either do this with the large end of a piping nozzle or if you do not have any big enough, with a small spoon. The holes will need to be at least half way down into the cupcake in order for the caramel to sit properly. Remember keep (and not eat haha) the pieces you take out of the cake as they will need to go back on top of the caramel so that the icing does not seep down into the cake.
Step 12> Put roughly a tsp and a half of caramel sauce into the hole you have made and cover up with the cut-out pieces.
Step 13 > Pipe your icing onto the top of the cakes and finish off with the half of the caramel egg.
Voila! You're finished. I hope you enjoy your cupcakes.
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