On our last trip out to California a couple of weeks ago, some friends and I celebrated a good friend’s birthday at a well-known restaurant in downtown Pasadena called, La Orange, where they have platters of the best(and free, which I know you are suppose to only take one, but since I don’t live there anymore and if they kick me out, well,) chocolate chip cookies that have sea salt sprinkled on top. So I candidly kept making excuses to pass the front door and took a cookie each trip I made. I told the hostess I was just going to go look outside to see if any more of our party had arrived., I wonder if she noticed that as soon as the platter was empty, I didn’t come to see If any more friends would be arriving? All that to say that I have come to love the flavor of salt on desserts. When I saw these cupcakes, I knew that they would be awesome. When my son comes over and teaches me how to download pics from my new Note 3 to my computer will post a picture. These cupcakes have a simple homemade caramel sauce that can ben made up to 2 weeks before so when you have a minute, whip the filling up so when you are ready to make the cupcakes, the filling will be ready for you to use.
*If you are in a time crunch make a box of Duncan Hines Fudge cupcakes because with the homemade filling and frosting, no one will guess the cupcakes are from a box. I do this sometimes and just substitute milk for the water the directions call for, and add about 1/4 cup sugar to the boxed mix before mixing.
Cupcakes
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tables vanilla
2 3/4 cup flour
2 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Salted Caramel Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tables light corn syrup
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tables sea salt
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
3 (4 oz) boxes semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 (12 cup) muffin pans with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla with mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in butter mixture.
In a medium bowl, c.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beating until just combined after each addition.
Spoon Salted Caramel filling into a squeeze bottle with a long narrow tip. Insert tip of squeeze bottle into center of each cupcake and allow about 1 teas caramel to fill center of each cupcake.
Spread or pipe frosting over cooled filled cupcakes.
Frosting:
In a small saucepan cook chocolate and cream over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium speed with the chocolate mixture until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and smooth. Frost cupcakes immediately.
Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cupcakes tests done in center. Remove from pans and cool completely
Chocolate Castles as wel 