Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

If you’re looking for the moistest, most wonderful caramel and chocolate nugget, you are in the right place. Every time I make these cupcakes, they get rave reviews. They include a couple of baking shortcuts, which is an even bigger bonus. Yes, you have got to try them!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
  • 1 box (3 oz.) Jello chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup sour cream

Salted Caramel Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter use Irish butter, if possible
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 cups confectioner's sugar
  • garnishes (pretzels, caramel or chocolate caramel candy)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with liners.
  • Using a stand mixer on medium speed, beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk and sour cream. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Scoop the batter evenly into cupcake liners. I prefer to use a retractable ice cream scoop or large baking scoop.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let cool.
  • Meanwhile, make the frosting. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
  • Add salt. Allow to bubble for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
  • Beat in confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Frost the cupcakes using a pastry bag and tip or with an icing spatula. Top with a pretzel and drizzled caramel, or consider adding a chocolate caramel candy.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

See? I told you, you would not be disappointed — but do try to share a few!

Blessings,
Tina

Copyright © 2021 Montana Mountain Maven / Tina R. Cusker. All rights reserved.


Creamy Caramels

Creamy Vanilla Caramels

Making candy during the holidays has certainly required a bit of patience and perseverance. However, my love for caramels has kept me trying, but the most important thing I have learned over the years of failed attempts…. there is no room in your kitchen for a cheap thermometer! Before you even buy the ingredients, buy a quality thermometer, preferably digital so you can accurately measure the temperature of your candy. Another important tip to consider, which honestly I only learned very recently, but, altitude matters. We live in Big Sky Country at about 5,000 feet. That is very different from when I made caramels in Montgomery, Alabama, at 240′. That would explain why my recipe has a pencil adjustment of about 8-10° since we returned to Montana. If you don’t make adjustments, you will likely overcook your candy at higher altitudes. A good rule of thumb is to reduce the cooking temperature by 2 degrees every 1,000 feet above sea level – unless of course it was written originally by someone living at the same altitude. For instance, my original recipe said ‘cook and stir until a thermometer reads 244,°’ and when we returned back to Montana, the first few batches were rock hard and boy, was I disappointed! Especially since they were perfect down south! Now, I have adjusted my recipe to 238° and we’re back to being just about perfect.

Creamy Caramels

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: candy, caramels
Servings: 80 peices

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Line an 11 x 7 in. dish with foil; spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray or grease with 1 tsp. butter.
  • In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat slightly to medium-low; boil gently without stirring for 4 minutes.
  • Remove from heat; gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 236-244°, depending on where you live. (You want a higher temperature if you are at sea level, a lower temperature if you live at high altitudes. At 5,000', I boil to 238°.) Remove from the heat; stir in extracts. Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Let stand until firm, at least an hour or two.
  • Using the foil, lift out the candy upside down onto a cutting board. Remove the foil. Using a sharp knife, cut the caramel into 1×3/4 in. pieces. Wrap candies individually in waxed or cellophane paper; twist ends.

Notes

You can get creative with your flavors! 
I  recently replaced 1 tsp of vanilla extract with maple extract.  However, orange, apple cider, coffee, buttered rum, or any other flavor you like could be used as well.
I  used to cut wax paper into squares until I  found an Etsy shop, Sweet CO1 in Minnesota where I  could purchase 1,000 candy wrappers for less than $12. Not only are my candies prettier, it was way less hassle and all my wrappers are uniform in size.
*Recipe adapted from TasteofHome.com, 2013
caramels
Maple Vanilla Caramels

I hope you enjoy this wonderful tradition as much as my family has.

Blessings,
Tina

Copyright © 2020 Montana Mountain Maven / Tina R. Cusker. All rights reserved.