Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake

This salted caramel chocolate cupcake hides homemade caramel in the center and wears caramel buttercream on top. Make the caramel ahead, then bake.

Salted caramel chocolate cupcake is a cocoa and vegetable oil cupcake with a homemade caramel center, caramel buttercream, and a dark chocolate drizzle. The batter bakes at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes, and here’s how it all comes together.

Every salted caramel chocolate cupcake here starts with caramel you make the night before, so it has time to cool and turn pourable. That same caramel works as salted caramel cupcake filling, flavors the buttercream, and finishes the top.

That’s what makes these chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes feel layered. One thing to know up front: the cupcakes need to cool completely before you core, fill, and frost them.

Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake

• The caramel shows up three ways: inside as a filling, mixed into the buttercream, and drizzled on top.
• Dark chocolate and flaky sea salt give the top a sweet-and-salty finish.
• The cocoa batter is whisked together by hand, with no creaming or mixer needed.
• The caramel keeps in the fridge for up to a month, so baking day is mostly cupcakes and frosting.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes?

Ingredient Group	Ingredient	Exact Amount	Purpose or Note
Salted Caramel	Granulated sugar	1 cup	Melted until smooth and amber
Salted Caramel	Unsalted butter	6 tablespoons	Room temperature; stirred in off the heat
Salted Caramel	Heavy cream	½ cup	Added after the butter
Salted Caramel	Bourbon	1 tablespoon	Optional
Salted Caramel	Flaky sea salt	½ teaspoon	Mixed in with the cream
Chocolate Cupcakes	Cake flour	1 cup	All-purpose flour can be substituted
Chocolate Cupcakes	Unsweetened cocoa powder	½ cup	Whisked into the dry ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes	Espresso powder	1 teaspoon	Optional
Chocolate Cupcakes	Baking powder	1½ teaspoons	Whisked into the dry ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes	Kosher salt	¼ teaspoon	Whisked into the dry ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes	Vegetable oil	½ cup	Whisked with the eggs
Chocolate Cupcakes	Large eggs	2	Room temperature
Chocolate Cupcakes	Granulated sugar	1 cup	Whisked in until smooth
Chocolate Cupcakes	Bourbon	1 tablespoon	Optional
Chocolate Cupcakes	Whole milk	½ cup	Added between the two halves of the dry ingredients
Salted Caramel Buttercream	Unsalted butter	1 cup	Room temperature
Salted Caramel Buttercream	Powdered sugar	3 cups	Added ½ cup at a time
Salted Caramel Buttercream	Salted caramel	¼ cup	Drizzled in on low speed
Salted Caramel Buttercream	Bourbon	1 tablespoon	Optional
Salted Caramel Buttercream	Heavy cream	2-3 tablespoons	As needed, 1 tablespoon at a time
Garnish	Dark chocolate	2 ounces	Melted and cooled
Garnish	Salted caramel	For drizzling	Drizzled over the frosting
Garnish	Flaky sea salt	A little extra	Sprinkled on top

Sugar, heavy cream, and bourbon each show up in more than one part of the recipe, so measure them for the right component. The bourbon is optional in the caramel, the batter, and the buttercream, and so is the espresso powder.

The same caramel serves as both the salted caramel cupcake filling and the buttercream flavor. For the cake, cake flour is the listed choice, with all-purpose flour as the substitute.

How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes Step by Step

Salted Caramel

I highly recommend making the salted caramel the night before the cupcakes so that it has time to fully cool.

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and stir every 1-2 minutes or so until it begins to melt (the sugar will start to clump up before melting).
2. Once the sugar is completely melted and smooth (it should be an amber color), immediately remove from the heat and stir in the butter until combined (don’t be scared if it bubbles a lot).
3. Add in the heavy cream, bourbon, and salt and mix until fully combined and smooth. It won’t want to combine at first, but just keep stirring and it will come together.
4. Pour the caramel into a heavy glass jar to cool to room temperature. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.
5. If you make the caramel the night before, it can sit covered at room temperature overnight so that it’s a nice pourable consistency.

Pro Tip: Measure the butter before the sugar melts, since it goes in the moment the pan comes off the heat.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and eggs.
4. Then whisk in the sugar and bourbon until smooth.
5. Gently mix in half the dry ingredients. Then add in the milk and the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be thin.
6. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full).
7. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
9. Let the chocolate cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.

Pro Tip: A thin batter is expected here, so there’s nothing to fix when it looks looser than a typical cake batter.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
2. Add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until fully combined and smooth.
3. Set the mixer to low speed and slowly drizzle in the salted caramel until it’s fully incorporated into the buttercream. Then add in the bourbon and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream is super light and fluffy.
4. If needed, add in cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Pro Tip: Beat the buttercream for the full 3 to 4 minutes on high speed so it turns super light and fluffy.

Assembly

1. Melt the dark chocolate and let cool almost to room temperature. It should be melted but cool to the touch. I prefer to melt the chocolate in the microwave in intervals of 20 seconds, stirring each time.
2. Use a cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake, then fill with 1-2 teaspoons of cooled salted caramel.
3. Frost the filled cupcakes and then drizzle with melted chocolate and salted caramel, and sprinkle with a little extra flaky sea salt.

Tips, Variations, and Troubleshooting for Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Pro Tips for Success

• Fill each cupcake with only 1-2 teaspoons of cooled caramel, because the buttercream and drizzle add more caramel on top.
• Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each liner so they’re about halfway full and bake evenly sized.
• Melt the chocolate in 20-second microwave intervals, stirring each time, then let it cool until it’s melted but cool to the touch before drizzling.
• Start with room-temperature butter and eggs, just as the ingredient list calls for.

Variations

• Optional, skip the bourbon: It’s listed as optional in the caramel, the batter, and the buttercream, so you can leave it out of all three.
• Optional, skip the espresso powder: It’s listed as optional in the cupcake dry ingredients, and the rest of the recipe stays the same.
• Optional, use all-purpose flour: Swap it in for the 1 cup of cake flour.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem: The sugar clumps up instead of melting.

Solution: That’s normal. Keep stirring every 1-2 minutes over medium heat, and it will melt completely and turn smooth and amber.

Problem: The cream won’t blend into the caramel.

Solution: It resists at first, but keep stirring until it comes together smooth. The bubbling when the butter goes in is normal too.

Problem: The buttercream isn’t the consistency you want.

Solution: Beat in heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time, up to the 2-3 tablespoons listed, until it looks right.

Problem: The cupcake batter looks too thin.

Solution: It’s supposed to be thin. Mix until just combined and pour about ¼ cup into each liner.

How to Store the Salted Caramel for These Cupcakes

Storage Method	Duration	Best Practice
Refrigerator	Up to a month	Pour the caramel into a heavy glass jar and let it cool to room temperature first
Covered at room temperature	Overnight	Let it sit covered so it reaches a nice pourable consistency

Making the caramel the night before is the easiest way to work ahead. Left covered overnight, it’s pourable by the time you fill, frost, and drizzle the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Final Thoughts

If you bake these salted caramel and chocolate cupcakes, leave an honest comment and star rating below. It helps other bakers decide what to make next.

And if you’re saving ideas, pin this recipe to your dessert board or share it with a friend who loves caramel.

Craving more chocolate? Try the Reese’s layered brownie trifle or the chocolate peanut butter dump cake.

Looking for another dessert idea? This chickpea cookie dough recipe with no flour is worth a look.

Save this salted caramel chocolate cupcake recipe for your next bake. Each cocoa cupcake gets a homemade caramel center, caramel buttercream, a dark chocolate drizzle, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.