Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the dark cocoa/dutch-process cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate chips, and boiling water until the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔-¾ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make one batch of my salted caramel sauce for this recipe to use in the salted caramel buttercream frosting and as the caramel drizzle. You can make the caramel sauce up to 1 month in advance.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
Add in the salted caramel sauce, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.

Combine the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the salted caramel buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes.
Use piping bags or squeeze bottles to drizzle the salted caramel sauce and chocolate ganache onto the frosted cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with flaky sea salt.

Storing & Serving:

Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.
Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.

Recipe Tip: Make the salted caramel sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Note: Metric conversions and nutritional information are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.