salted caramel chocolate cupcakes

I found this recipe on pinterest. Yes, I do have a pinterest, and yes, I do actually make recipes that I find on there. I love these cupcakes because they are just heavenly. Salted caramel, chocolate and did I mention salted caramel. Yum!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs (you could easily substitute applesauce here)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350*F. Begin by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla, beating well.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Add this mixture alternately with the sour cream, mixing on low until just combined. Mix in the water.

Pour batter into cupcake liners* and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool while you make the salted caramel filling. This is the salted caramel recipe that I use, although you will find a different one on the original cupcake recipe.

Then cut little divets in the top of the cupcakes using a small, sharp knife. Pour the salted caramel sauce into this divets.

Top with salted caramel cream cheese frosting.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

salted caramel sauce to taste

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in butter until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in salted caramel.

These cupcakes are so delicious. I'm serious. My mouth is watering right now as I am thinking about them, and I'm thinking it has been too long since I last made them. Please make and love! :)

*A helpful hint that my sister shared to help with pouring cupcakes is to use an  ice cream scoop. It is super easy and all of your cupcakes come out very uniform.

chocolate sour cream cupcakes

I am planning a bridal shower for my sister which is about two weeks away (eekkkk!!), and I decided that I wanted to serve several things for food, so of course I am going to have cupcakes. I wanted to do some chocolate ones (because let's be honest, what's a bridal shower without chocolate?), however, I didn't really like any of the combinations that were on Ming Makes Cupcakes, so I decided to make my own combo. I wanted to try the chocolate sour cream cupcakes, but I didn't like the frosting that she put on top, so here is my version.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
1 cup flour (I used unbleached all purpose)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

Combine the dry ingredients.


Add butter, applesauce and sour cream.


Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I think mine baked for 25 minutes. I think I also added a little heavy whipping cream to these because I was a little short on sour cream. Okay, now here comes my twist on these cupcakes. Ming Makes Cupcakes frosts these cupcakes with a nutella frosting, and while I love nutella, I just wanted to go in a different direction.

Chocolate Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

8 oz. mascarpone
1/4 - 1/3 cup cocoa
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until it thickens.


Okay, just to show you what a big deal garnishing your cupcakes is, I decided to take a before garnish and after garnish picture.


See garnishing makes all the difference between a regular cupcake and a fabulous cupcake. These are garnished with chocolate chunks and a dusting of cinnamon.

sour cream blackberry cupcakes

Fun fact about me #12: I bake when I get stressed. Fun fact about me #39: I love sour cream. So these lovely cupcakes just make me happy. I have a few adjustments that I want to make, but they are quite nice. Recipe adapted from Ming Makes Cupcakes. Originally the recipe calls for apricot preserves (which I wanted to try), but the store didn't have the apricot preserves that I wanted, so I went with blackberry instead.

Sour Cream Blackberry Cupcakes
1 cup flour (I used 1/2 oat flour and 1/2 coconut flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
3 Tbsp. applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sour cream
blackberry preserves

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In case you can't tell, I added cinnamon.


In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar. Then add the applesauce.

Add the sour cream.


Add the dry ingredients.


Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full. Add a spoonful of preserves.


And cover with remaining dough. One adjustment that I want to make is to put a little less dough on the bottom and make sure that the entire top gets covered. I also would use less jam than I did in these. But all around they were good.

Mascarpone Frosting
8 oz. Mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Blend all ingredients and beat until soft peaks form. Frost cupcakes and top with toasted, sliced almonds.