Enjoy the deep flavors of chocolate and white chocolate that has been caramelized with these tasty cupcakes. Warm chocolate cupcakes are topped with a smooth, sweet dulce de leche buttercream that has been caramelized. It's great for special events or just because you want something sweet.
Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder. 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda. 1 tsp salt. 2 large eggs. 1 cup buttermilk. 1/2 cup vegetable oil. 2 tsp pure vanilla extract. 1 cup boiling water. 8 oz white chocolate. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened. 1 cup powdered sugar. 1/4 cup dulce de leche. Chocolate sprinkles for decoration optional.
Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350F 175C and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients mixture. Beat until well combined. Pour in the boiling water and mix until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin, but that's okay. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cupcakes cool, caramelize the white chocolate. Chop the white chocolate into small chunks and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 250F 120C for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until the chocolate turns a caramelized golden color. Let it cool. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Fold the caramelized white chocolate into the buttercream until well combined. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the caramelized white chocolate buttercream on top of each cupcake. Drizzle a small amount of dulce de leche over the buttercream on each cupcake. Optional: Decorate with chocolate sprinkles for extra flair. Serve and enjoy your decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream and Dulce de Leche!