Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

 Chocolate cupcakes filled with a creamy vegan caramel and topped with caramel buttercream!

I knew when I saw the Buttermilk Dairy Free Salted Caramel Cups that these cupcakes would be the perfect recipe. To show them off in their prime, these little bites of absolute heaven, topping the cupcakes as they rightly should. If you haven't before tried these chocolate caramel cups, you absolutely must! Vegan chocolate caramel is still hard to come by but these really hit the spot and don't make you feel like you're missing out - I for one was someone obsessed with dairy milk caramel nibbles and these are even better. The cupcakes are really just mimicking the yummy structure of these, and you could always swap it around and have caramel sponges with chocolate buttercream :)

Check out my other cupcake recipes for more inspiration!

Banoffee Pie Cupcakes
Lotus Biscoff Cupcakes
Party Ring Cupcakes

Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 18 minutes (cupcakes) 15 for the caramel

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
170g  Self-raising flour
170g Caster sugar
220ml Soya milk + 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 tbsp Cacao powder
70g Vegetable oil
1 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of salt
Caramel Sauce - I use this recipe

Buttercream

200g Vegan butter

400g Icing sugar

1 tbsp Caramel sauce

Buttermilk dairy free salted caramel cups

Method

✿If you haven't made the caramel sauce yet do this first as it needs to cool down before you can use it. Simply use this recipe. 

✿Whilst the caramel is cooling, make the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a cupcake tray with cases.

✿Combine the soya milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug and leave to curdle a few minutes to create a 'buttermilk'. 

✿In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

✿In a separate bowl, beat the sugar with the vegetable oil until combined. The stir in the 'buttermilk' and vanilla.

✿Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently stir together until you have a smooth cake batter.

✿Using two spoons, add cake batter evenly into the cupcake cases about ⅔ full, then place in the oven to cook between 15-18 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

✿Leave to cool in the cupcake tray before removing and the keep covered so they don't dry out. 

✿Make the buttercream. Beat the butter until soft and creamy (can be done with an electric mixer or with some elbow grease!). 

✿Once smooth and no lumps are visible, gradually add the icing sugar about 100g at a time. Keep mixing until all the sugar is combined and you have a fluffy buttercream. Lastly add the caramel and mix together - add more for desired taste. 

✿To assemble the cupcakes, use a an apple core to take out the middle of each cupcake and then fill 1 tsp of caramel sauce in the middle. Repeat for all 12.

✿Spread or pipe buttercream on top of the cupcakes and then top with a salted caramel cup and more caramel. Keep in the fridge to keep firm. Enjoy!

Christina

xx