Description
Homemade chocolate caramel hi-hat cupcakes are rich and indulgent! You’ll love these dark chocolate cupcakes topped with salted caramel frosting and dipped in chocolate shell.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp instant espresso
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Salted Caramel Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 5 Tbsp salted caramel sauce
Chocolate Shell
- 16 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup standard muffin pans with baking cups.
- For the cupcakes, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture. Add sugars, eggs, egg yolk, milk, yogurt, oil, and vanilla to flour mixture; whisk in just until incorporated. Dissolve instant espresso in boiling water; add to batter and whisk in just until smooth. Fold in chopped chocolate.
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to fill each baking cup 2/3 full of batter.
- Bake for 17 to 18 minutes, until cupcakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks for 2 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat butter and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated. Mix in salted caramel sauce until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 2 cups powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium and beat frosting for 1 minute, until light and airy.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip (Wilton 8B) and frost cupcakes. Chill frosted cupcakes for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, until frosting is firm.
- For the chocolate shell, combine chopped chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth. Let the chocolate shell cool for 15 minutes before dipping.
- Dip the cupcakes in chocolate shell to coat the frosting. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to set chocolate before serving.
- Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.