With a rich, dark chocolate cake and luscious homemade caramel sauce, these caramel filled cupcakes are the chocolate dessert you never knew you needed. Absolute heaven for caramel lovers!
We love caramel and chocolate, especially together. These chocolate caramel cupcakes start with our incredibly moist chocolate cake batter. These moist chocolate cupcakes are filled with a gooey caramel center, then decorated with our fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting.
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For a final touch, garnish with our caramel corn cupcake topping made from white chocolate chips, store-bought caramel corn, and candy corn for a little salty-sweet flavor goodness.
These delicious cupcakes are fantastic to serve for Halloween, but true chocolate caramel lovers know these flavors are always in season! Serve them for birthdays, parties, or any special event that needs a dessert to wow your guests!
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Why you'll love this caramel filled cupcakes recipe
- So tender and moist: We love moist cakes around here! Thanks to a few special ingredients, these delicious cupcakes have the most wonderful texture and a rich chocolate flavor.
- Heavenly flavor combination: That caramel and chocolate flavor combination is a winner for a reason. The dark, slightly bitter chocolate sings with sweet caramel. They go together so well!
- Perfect for parties: Cupcakes are such a great treat to serve at a party since they're already individual-sized and ready to go. These caramel filled cupcakes are wonderful for a Halloween party with our candy corn decoration, or serve them with an extra drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a fancy event.
- Incredibly easy to make: These cupcakes look way more complicated than they are! The batter is made using our super simple two-bowl method, and then you add a melted chocolate-butter mixture for extra moisture and flavor.These stunning cupcakes will be ready in no time!
Ingredients
You'll find many of the ingredients below in our professional bakery recipes, and this specific cupcake recipe is designed to be perfectly moist and tender every time! For equipment, feel free to use your favorite mixing bowls and a whisk or your stand mixer.
Start by whisking the dry ingredients together in a bowl to remove any clumps.
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Instant Clearjel (our secret magical bakery ingredient!)
- Dark Dutch Cocoa Powder (I use OliveNation)
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Brewed coffee
- Vegetable oil
- Dark corn syrup
- Vanilla extract
To make the chocolate butter mixture, melt salted butter and add semi-sweet chocolate chips. Then whisk until smooth and glossy!
The silky caramel filling is made with our super easy caramel drizzle. The frosting is our fluffy chocolate buttercream made with dark cocoa powder for a really rich, dark flavor.
For the fluffy chocolate buttercream, blend all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater or whisk attachment.
Garnish with store-bought caramel corn, candy corn, and white chocolate chips. Or add a little extra caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt!
Instructions
Ready to get baking? Here's the basic rundown of how to make these delicious caramel filled cupcakes. Be sure to grab the recipe card below for specific steps and instructions.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking thoroughly.
Melt the salted butter in the microwave, then whisk in the chocolate chips until they are melted. Pour the chocolate butter mixture over the batter and stir.
Fill your cupcake liners in the cupcake pan and let the mixture rest for 15-20 minutes before baking.
Make the easy caramel cupcake filling by melting caramel bits and heavy cream together. Allow to cool slightly.
Create the delicious caramel corn cupcake topping by combining store-bought caramel corn, candy corn, and white chocolate chips with a little bit of your prepared caramel.
Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before removing the center of each cupcake with a cupcake corer or apple corer.
Fill with caramel drizzle, then use a piping bag to pipe with frosting. Decorate the top of the cupcake with any garnishes and serve!
Tip: Because the cakes are so moist and the caramel is so silky, it can help to refrigerate the cupcakes before coring and refrigerate again after adding the caramel.
🎥 Step-by-Step Video
Look how spooky these chocolate caramel cupcakes can look for Halloween in the video below!
🎥 I hope you enjoy the video above (you may have to hit "play" twice on mobile devices). You can also view all my bakery recipe videos and tips on the following channels:
Variations
- Sea salt caramel cupcakes: If you prefer a little salty with your sweet, try adding a little bit of kosher salt to the caramel recipe. Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste.
- Try a different cake flavor: Although we love the rich chocolate cupcake batter, you can use our vanilla cupcakes instead. The vanilla extract version of that recipe makes a buttery yellow cupcake that pairs perfectly with caramel!
- Use a different frosting: Prefer something a little different than chocolate frosting? Try this cinnamon buttercream for extra fall flavor or our classic cream cheese frosting.
- If you love filled cupcakes, you've got to try these Nutella cupcakes! They're fluffy vanilla cupcakes with a Nutella fudge filling and creamy Nutella frosting. They're a chocolate lover's dream!
Storage
Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container. Frosted cupcakes should be refrigerated, but remove them from the fridge 1-3 hours before serving so that the frosting will soften.
Leftover cupcakes can be frozen without frosting for approximately one week. Be sure to wrap well with plastic to keep them from drying out!
FAQs
The easiest way to fill a cupcake is to use an apple corer or a cupcake corer, but you can also use a paring knife. Make sure to let the cupcakes cool completely to room temperature. You can also chill the cupcakes to help hold them together (great for really tender, moist recipes).
Then insert the tip of the corer and go down until you're approximately an inch from the bottom. Twist and tilt out the corer to remove the center of the cupcake. Then, use a piping bag, squeeze bottle, or even a rubber spatula or spoon to add your filling. Frost, decorate, and serve!
That depends on the type of filling you're using, but it's not recommended. Most fillings must stay at room temperature or lower to maintain consistency. Other ingredients, like chocolate chips or candies, could be added before baking, but they will likely sink to the bottom of the cupcake then spread out and melt.
They won't exactly become the filling you're thinking of. In general, it's best to add the fillings after you bake the cupcakes, but that will vary depending on the specific cupcake recipe. It's best to be patient and do it the right way for best results.
Always fill cupcakes when they are cool or cold! Especially if you use moist cake recipes like we do, you'll have a much easier time coring and filling the cupcakes when they're completely cooled to room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
This will hold the crumb together and keep you from destroying the cupcake trying to fill it. For best results, chill your cupcakes for several hours or even overnight before filling!
Don't these caramel filled cupcakes sound absolutely delicious? How would you decorate them? We love the candy corn mixture, but there are so many other great options!
f you love bakery-tested recipes like these, follow along on Instagram or TikTok for plenty more. Happy baking!
Thanks for Reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe
Moist Dark Chocolate Caramel-Filled Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 170 grams (1 ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Instant Clearjel (Please make sure it is labeled as INSTANT. It's a bakery ingredient you can use at home--see Note #1)
- 26 grams (¼ cup) Dark Cocoa Powder (I use OliveNation Dark Dutch Cocoa)
- 100 grams (½ cup) Sugar
- 113 grams (½ cup packed) Brown Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Brewed Coffee
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 tablespoon Dark Corn Syrup (or use light corn syrup)
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Butter Mixture
- ¾ stick(s) (3 oz) Salted Butter
- 43 grams (¼ cup + 1 Tbsp) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I use Nestle)
Caramel Filling and Frosting
- 2x batch Super Easy Caramel Drizzle (please note the batch size)
- 1x batch prepared Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream (using dark cocoa powder for the cocoa in the recipe)
Decorations
- store-bought caramel corn
- candy corn
- white chocolate chips
Video
Instructions
Make Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake tins with 19 cupcake liners.
- Using a sifter or fine mesh strainer, sift the first seven Dry Ingredients into a large bowl, then add brown sugar. Whisk until well blended. If you see any large brown sugar clumps, break them up and blend them in with your fingers.
- Combine Wet Ingredients in a separate large bowl and whisk until smooth and well-blended.
- Melt salted butter in the microwave (or over the stove) until just melted. Avoid overcooking. Add semi-sweet chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth (Whisk for 30 seconds to 1 minute--the heat from the melted butter plus the whisking will melt the chips).
- Pour Wet Ingredients into Dry Ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Pour Chocolate Butter Mixture over batter and whisk until smooth and lump-free. (A few teeny brown sugar lumps are ok and will dissolve as it bakes).
- Using a 2-oz scoop (recommended) or ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins.
- Allow tins to set for 15-20 minutes before putting them in the oven. This will give time for the instant clearjel to thicken the cake batter before it bakes, allowing for a better rise.
- Bake in the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) of the preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the cupcakes pass the toothpick test. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick or small paring knife comes out mostly clean when quickly stuck in the cupcakes. These cupcakes are often done baking before they look done (due to their dark color), and they will continue to bake a little bit as they cool. Because these cupcakes are so moist, it is okay to see a couple of moist crumbs on your knife when you check the finished product for doneness. But any wet-looking crumbs mean they need more time in the oven.
- If you are frosting and serving them the next day, wrap the cupcakes in the cupcake tin and leave at room temperature overnight. You may also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes wrapped tightly in the cupcake tin up to a week in advance and they will stay very moist.
Prepare the filling and frosting
- Make the easy caramel drizzle recipe according to the instructions. Place it in a squeeze bottle (optional) for easy filling and drizzling. Prepare the chocolate buttercream frosting, using dark cocoa powder in the recipe.
Make the caramel corn topping
- Combine the caramel corn, candy corn, and chocolate chips (you may eyeball the measurements). Drizzle with a little bit of caramel drizzle and stir the ingredients together just until they all sticks together. Set aside.
- Core the cupcakes using a cupcake corer and fill with a generous amount of caramel drizzle. Top the caramel center with the cored piece of cake. If the cupcakes seem delicate, set them in the fridge or freezer until they firm up before frosting them.
- Frost the cupcakes with chocolate buttercream in a piping bag, top with a couple of tablespoons of the caramel corn mixture, and drizzle with warm caramel drizzle.
- Store finished cupcakes in airtight Tupperware. Cupcakes are best eaten at room temperature. If you are in a warm environment or if you are not serving within 24 hours, refrigerate the frosted cupcakes, but remove from the fridge 2-3 hours before serving so they may come back to room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping.
