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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Salted caramel chocolate cupcakes with a gooey caramel center and silky cocoa frosting, baked until the crumb springs back. Finished with caramel drizzle and flaky sea salt for a sweet-salty bite in every cupcake.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For chocolate cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Caramel filling
  • 1 cup thick caramel sauce
For salted caramel chocolate frosting
  • 1 cup butter
  • 0.5 cup cocoa powder
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.25 cup caramel sauce
  • 3 tbsp cream
  • 1 flaky salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake tins so they’re ready to bake immediately after mixing.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Make the chocolate cupcake batter
  1. Beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, creating a lighter base for the cupcakes.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla, then beat until the mixture looks smooth and cohesive.
  3. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, mixing just until the batter is combined and no dry streaks remain.
Bake and cool
  1. Divide batter into liners, filling each about 2/3 full for room to rise.
  2. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
  3. Cool cupcakes completely before coring so the caramel filling stays inside.
Fill, frost, and finish
  1. Core each cupcake and fill the center with thick caramel sauce.
  2. Beat the salted caramel chocolate frosting ingredients until smooth, then pipe onto each cupcake.
  3. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky salt right before serving.

Notes

For the cleanest caramel centers, core only once the cupcakes are fully cool; if the caramel is too loose, warm it briefly until spoonable. Store frosted cupcakes covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; let come to room temperature 20 minutes for best texture. Freezing is not recommended for the frosted cupcakes, but you can freeze baked (unfilled) cupcakes up to 2 months. For a dairy-lite option, use plant butter and a plant-based cream substitute, keeping the caramel filling the same.