Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 7'' springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides. Set aside for later.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Finally, in another bowl, combine buttermilk and coffee. Add half of the wet ingredients and half of the buttermilk/coffee mixture into the dry ingredients; give a rough stir, and then whisk in the rest. Do not overmix; the batter should be relatively thin.

Step 3

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, about ¾. Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven, until tops of the cupcakes are firm and spring back when pressed. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 4

To make the ganache, add chocolate chips and cream into a bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, and whisk until smooth. Let cool completely.

Step 5

To make the frosting, add the butter to a large bowl, and whisk for a couple minutes with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, whisking until completely incorporated between each addition. Finally, add ½ cup caramel and vanilla, and whisk for an additional minute.

Step 6

To assemble, using a knife, cut a divot into each cupcake. Use a piping bag or ziploc bag, fill each divot with ganache (you can also just spoon it in, but I find that it gets a little messy). Then, using another piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice, pipe a spiral of caramel buttercream on top of each cupcake. Using the same ganache bag, drizzle some chocolate over top and sprinkle some pecans and/or chocolate chips to garnish. Enjoy!

Step 7

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 7'' springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides. Set aside for later.

Step 8

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Finally, in another bowl, combine buttermilk and coffee. Add half of the wet ingredients and half of the buttermilk/coffee mixture into the dry ingredients; give a rough stir, and then whisk in the rest. Do not overmix; the batter should be relatively thin.

Step 9

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, about ¾. Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven, until tops of the cupcakes are firm and spring back when pressed. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 10

To make the ganache, add chocolate chips and cream into a bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, and whisk until smooth. Let cool completely.

Step 11

To make the frosting, add the butter to a large bowl, and whisk for a couple minutes with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, whisking until completely incorporated between each addition. Finally, add ½ cup caramel and vanilla, and whisk for an additional minute.

Step 12

To assemble, using a knife, cut a divot into each cupcake. Use a piping bag or ziploc bag, fill each divot with ganache (you can also just spoon it in, but I find that it gets a little messy). Then, using another piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice, pipe a spiral of caramel buttercream on top of each cupcake. Using the same ganache bag, drizzle some chocolate over top and sprinkle some pecans and/or chocolate chips to garnish. Enjoy!