Turtle Cupcakes

Turtle cupcakes are a delicious combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecans! Moist chocolate cupcakes swirled with chocolate buttercream frosting, drizzle with chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans. If you love turtle candies, this cupcake is for you!

Ingredients for Turtle Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes

• Dark cocoa powder: My favorite is the Hershey’s Special Dark 100% Cacao Dutched Cocoa as it is the most cost effective and delicious!
• Chocolate chips: Use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips.
• Boiling water: Boiling water melts the chocolate chips and blooms or hydrates the cocoa powder.
• All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar to sweeten the cupcakes.
• Baking soda: A leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
• Salt: Enhances the flavor of the chocolate cupcakes.
• Vegetable oil: Provides moisture to the cupcakes.
• Egg: Room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the chocolate!

Chocolate buttercream frosting

• Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter.
• Powdered sugar: No need to sift unless the powdered sugar is super lumpy.
• Salt: To enhance the vanilla flavor and provide a bit of contrast to the sweetness.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream dissolves the sugar a bit, making the buttercream smooth.
• Dark cocoa powder: Dark cocoa powder adds a rich, chocolatey flavor to the frosting.

Additional ingredients

• Chocolate chips: Semisweet or bittersweet to make chocolate ganache.
• Caramel bits: Tiny bits of caramel to combine with heavy cream to make a caramel sauce.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream is added to both the chocolate chips and caramel bits.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans.

How to Make Turtle Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F & line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Combine chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, and boiling water. Allow to stand for a few minutes. Mix until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add melted chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Add in vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine but do not overmix.
6. Portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop, about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool the cupcakes in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate buttercream frosting

1. Whip the room temperature unsalted butter for about 5 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
2. Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Then add the remaining half and continue to mix on low speed.
3. Add the vanilla extract and salt.
4. Add in the dark cocoa powder and continue to mix on low until combined. 
5. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after this step to ensure everything is well mixed.
6. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for about 3 minutes.
7. (Optional) Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for an additional 5 minutes to remove air bubbles and made the buttercream silky smooth.

Caramel and chocolate drizzles

The chocolate ganache and caramel drizzle are made in the microwave. Keep your eyes on the microwave so the chocolate ganache or caramel sauce do not boil over the bowl.

• Chocolate ganache: Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and combined.
• Caramel drizzle: Combine caramel bits and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and combined.