Chocolatey and thick (but never too dense), these dark mini cupcakes are made with premium dark chocolate, topped with a fully homemade caramel candy frosting, then sprinkled with sea salt
Cakes and cupcakes, more-so than any other baked good, tend to cause me a significant amount of anxiety when I am in recipe-development mode.
When I set my sights on baking a cake, I will spend hours researching and reading about the chemistry, methodology and seeming-alchemy of baking; baking powder vs. soda, the best options for a moist crumb (you’ll find I rarely if ever use butter in my cakes and that’s not without good reason), the difference an extra egg white makes to a batter, etc. I will mentally consume recipe after recipe, trying to understand what makes one turn out brilliantly and another brickish, until I feel ready to begin constructing my own recipe.
Each time I make a cake, I feel that I’m contributing a new recipe to the already overwhelmed annals of the search engines, so it is incredibly important to me that I feel I have done everything in my power to make my creation the best. Besides, there are a lot of cake and cupcake recipes out there, and if I’m not offering something truly delectable that can’t be found anywhere else, well, why even bother?
Therefore, each ingredient (and the amount of each that is used) is selected with an extreme amount of care and my technique is executed with nervous anguish.
For the longest (pre-blog) time I actually avoided cakes made from scratch, believing they were inherently too dense and dry and chalky, and I adamantly preferred the lighter, fluffier results that came from a box (to this day my dad still asks for a box-cake for his birthday, and canned icing, much to my mom’s horror).
Now that I do dabble (or more than that, really) in cake-baking, I have terribly high standards. Anything even slightly too dense or remotely dry will simply not do.
Usually (but not always) the result of my experimentation is edible, but it is rare (and NEVER on the first try) that a cake or cupcake recipe comes out satisfactorily. The last time I tried to make chocolate cake it was only made palatable by the generous accompaniment of a thick slab of cheesecake, and only not thrown away because I loathe to waste ingredients. It certainly did not make it onto the blog.
My first painstakingly-blueprinted rendition of these cupcakes came out beautifully in a few senses. They were not at all dense or dry, they were light, fluffy and entirely edible. But despite that, I had it in my mind that they would have a much stronger, distinct dark chocolate flavor, an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture from a saturation of dark chocolate in the batter; thick but not dense, an imagined perfect complement to the frosting I had already decided on: a crowning salted caramel (because what else pairs so perfectly with dark chocolate?).
A few more tweaks to the batter, a generous addition of premium dark chocolate (I love Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate and used that here) and I finally had beautifully chocolaty cupcakes that matched the ideal nestled in my brain.
Note: Since originally publishing this recipe I have a simpler dark chocolate cupcakes recipe and sometimes use the caramel icing from my caramel cake instead. This recipe is still excellent, though!
More Great Recipes to Try:
Though my icings and frostings always come much easier to me than cakes, it’s important that I don’t understate how incredible this frosting is. While the cupcakes are not dense and heavy, this icing is (in an entirely acceptable, cupcake-flattering way). The base for this icing originates on the stove top with brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter for a true, homespun caramel-candy flavor.
It is incredibly important that this caramel base be allowed to cool entirely before the sugar is mixed in, otherwise you’re likely to end up with a runny mess on your hands. Therefore you may even want to start the icing before the cupcakes, allowing the caramel base to cool while your mini cakes are in the oven.
Another note, too often people give me far, far too much credit for the way in which icing is piped onto my cupcakes and I want to stress that it is incredibly easy to pipe icing beautifully onto a cupcake–so long as you have the right tip. I use either a large Wilton or Ateco tips, and I frosted all 48 of my successful mini cupcakes in under 5 minutes while chatting with my mom across my kitchen island.
It was (please don’t hate me) a piece of cake.
Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup +3 Tbsp milk divided
- 3.5 oz quality dark chocolate chopped into small pieces (I always use a bar of Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate)
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg preferably room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 Tbsp salted butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two mini-cupcake trays by lining with cupcake liners.
- In small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup milk and dark chocolate, stirring until chocolate is completely melted.
- Increase heat to medium-high, stir constantly until mixture begins to bubble and stir in cocoa powder. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- In KitchenAid, combine canola oil and sugars, beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, scrape sides of bowl, and stir again on medium-high speed for another 30 seconds -- until ingredients are well-combined (mixture will be very thick and grainy).
- Add egg and vanilla, beat well.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With mixer on low-medium speed, gradually stir in flour mixture to oil/sugar mixture, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Pour the cocoa/dark chocolate liquid into the mixer and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Scrape down sides of bowl and add 3 Tbsp milk, stir on medium speed again so all ingredients are combined.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake on 350F for 15 minutes (toothpick inserted into middle of cupcake should come out clean).
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Combine brown sugar, butter, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until butter is melted and all ingredients are combined.
- Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Continue to boil (while still stirring continuously) for two minutes, remove from heat, stirring occasionally so that the mixture does not burn.
- Allow candy to cool completely before proceeding.
- Once caramel base has cooled, stir in vanilla.
- Transfer to KitchenAid (or use electric hand mixer) and gradually stir in powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, with mixer on low-medium speed.
- Pause periodically to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
- Continue until all sugar has been added, then add 2 Tbsp heavy cream and beat on medium-high until cream has been incorporated.
- Pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with sea salt.
Nutrition
anonymous
This frosting is a complete disaster. Ruined the cupcakes even after adding a ton more powdered sugar to try to get it so that it didn’t turn into mush atop the cupcakes. Yes, the caramel base was cooled first and the cupcakes were completely cool. Use a different icing recipe!
Sam
So sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you! I personally love this frosting and it works great for me every time, if it didn’t for you and the caramel was completely 100% cooled then I’m wondering if it didn’t boil long enough to help it set up properly?
Love baking
Yum! This is the perfect cupcake. They turned out just As she said they would. Super moist very chocolatey cake with perfect caramel frosting. Even the quantities were correct. Made the right amount of batter and the right amount of frosting. My new favorite!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them 😃
Alicia Kauffman
I made this frosting twice now, and both times it is delicious but the consistency is more fudgey than creamy. Is this normal? I haven’t worked with caramel a lot but it seems like it is crystallizing or doing something it shouldn’t be. And when you say cool completely does it mean room temp or like fridge?
Sam
It is a bit fudgy so I don’t think that’s unusual but you can add more heavy cream (in step 9) to thin it out to your taste. Caramel (/most candy) can be finicky and even the humidity can affect it, which may be causing the crystallizing. Let it cool completely at room temperature.
Michelle
Do you think that this frosting would work well with your Funfetti Cake recipe? I was going to use the buttercream frosting like you previously advised me to but then I stumbled upon this recipe and my boyfriend loves salted caramel. (I’m trying to make him the ultimate birthday cake!) Thank youuuu.
Sam
Hmm I haven’t used this frosting for spreading (just piping) yet, it is a trickier frosting to make but I believe it could be done with some patience (though I believe you would have to at least double the recipe to cover the funfetti cake)! Sorry I can’t advise further on it, I actually have plans to experiment with this frosting more but at this point I’m not positive how it would turn out.
Hima
Hi Sam! These cupcakes look delicious! I was wondering what brand pan you used for these? I was trying to find a mini cupcake pan but it seems they’re all very short. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Hima! I used a Wilton pan, the muffin cavities are quite small and mine only holds 24 cupcakes at a time (so I actually have two pans). I hope that helps, but let me know if there are other questions I might be able to help with! 🙂
Stella
These look great! Could I subsitute melted butter for the canola oil? Thanks!
Sam
Yes, they won’t be as moist as they would be with the oil, but it will work!
Elaine
These taste and look amazing! I need a bit of help, though. When I try to eat one they are pretty crumbly. Some have stayed together but most fall apart when unwrapping. I’m sure it’s user error.
I thought I was following the recipe exactly but I did bake them for 14 mins each as I only did one tray at a time. I also used the top of our double oven so it’s baking on the bottom of a smaller opening, if that makes sense. Could either of those be the issue?
It seems like the longer they sit in the cake holder with the cover on the more they stay together versus those outside the cake holder out in the open.
Sam
Hi Elaine!
If they are crumbly it’s possible that they may have been slightly overbaked, is it possible that your oven temperature may be higher than it’s actually reading? If you make them again I would start checking them a few minutes sooner, other than that I’m not sure why they would be crumbly.
Otherwise, I am so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Le Ann
Is it possible to convert this lovely recipe to be a cake? I am envisioning a round layer cake. If so, would one batch of frosting be enough?
Sam
Hi Le Ann! I’ve actually made it into a round layer cake before, please see this recipe (and just leave out the cheesecake): https://sugarspunrun.com/cheesecake-stuffed-dark-chocolate-cake/
Tiffany Nolan
These look amazing and will be the perfect piece for my daughter’s first birthday. Can you tell me what type/brand cocoa you would recommend? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Tiffany! I use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. I have been able to find it in my regular grocery store next to the regular cocoa powder. I hope you (and your daughter!) love the cupcakes! 🙂
Rachel
Hi, I would love to your recipe. I need to make 24 standard size cupcakes. Can I double this recipe? Thank you very much. And, I admire your dedication to make a recipe PERFECT! Thats why I really want to try this one!
Sam
Hi Rachel! Yes, you can double this recipe, I have done it before. Standard sized cupcakes will probably need to bake around 18 minutes. I hope you love them! 🙂
Randa
Hello
Can you tell me what tip # you used to frost these?
Thanks
Sam
I believe it was a Wilton 2D
Lauren
Hi, i made your cupcakes last night and they were amazing!!! I made the frosting this morning, but it has started to separate and there is a lot of oil on top. Do you have any idea why? And if I can fix it? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Lauren, is it separating during the cooking process, as you’re adding the sugar, or once you’ve frosted the cupcakes?
Sam
Did the cupcakes turn out OK Lauren?
Lauren
Sorry for the really delayed response! Yes, they turned out great, once it started to seperate i let it sit for about 5 minutes and then tried mixing it again and it combined like it should! And to answer your question, it was separating when i was adding in the powdered sugar.
Sam
No worries, I’m so glad that it ultimately turned out! 🙂
Kelly
Hi!,
Quick Question, I made this today but they spread out onto the pan and stuck to it. The tops also kept falling off once they were one and I was taking them out of the pan. Do have any idea of what I my have done to make it react like that? Thanks.
Sam
Hi Kelly! Hmm, I have a few theories. 1) is it possible that the cupcake liners were overfilled? They shouldn’t be filled more than 2/3 of the way, otherwise this may occur. 2) (more likely) If the cupcakes were under-mixed this could cause the tops to separate. Likewise, this could also be your issue as to why they were spreading out and sticking to the pan. Make sure when you are mixing the batter you use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
I hope this helps!
Adaora
Hi,
I was wondering if you can use chocolate chips ( semi-sweet) in place of the Ghiradelli chocolate bar? They look delicious! Thx.
Sam
Hi Adaora! Yes, that will be just fine. Thanks, I hope you enjoy them!
Annette
I made a cupcake posy of flowers using this recipe and they are just beautiful, I tweaked the recipe a bit by using butter instead of oil (personal taste) and refrigerating the cakes and icing for 15 minutes before I piped it as the room temperature was quite warm.
Sam
I’m so glad that you liked them, Annette! Thank you for commenting, and have a wonderful rest of your weekend! 🙂
iram
Hi, I am a newcomer to this site. My sister emailed me this and requested that I make it for her birthday. I did today. Omg i snuck one and went to heaven. The frosting is to die for! I am so following you from now on. Thx. Btw, i made 12 regular sized cupcakes.
Sam
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for the kind comment! 🙂