Chocolate Carmel Cupcakes

I am taking cupcakes to our Christmas Eve party this year.  I wanted to do something fun and unique.  So I'm going with this recipe, Red Velvet and then a yellow cupcake with a strawberry filled inside which (I will blog about once I make those).  I found this recipe and decided to try it. I thought they turn out pretty good looking and they taste A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  I had a little bit of a hard time with the Carmel frosting, it didn't set up very thick so I added some buttercream frosting and it thickened right up and I think tastes better then what I had to start with.

I used cream cheese frosting and then drizzled some of the caramel filling over the top and then a few chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes (found on Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice)
(Makes 20)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
• 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, at room temperature
• 1 + 1/3 cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Eggs
• 3 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 cup Milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cupcake pans by greasing or placing paper liners in them.

2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl occasionally. Beat in Vanilla Extract. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in cooled chocolate.

4. Beat in the flour mixture in 4 additions alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat briefly until smooth on low-medium.

5. Fill cupcake wells 3/4 of the way. Bake about 22 minutes or until a toothpick in middle shows a few moist crumbs.

6. Cool on wire racks ten minutes. Then remove cupcakes to racks to cool completely.

Caramel Frosting (adapted from Betty Crocker)

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup Milk, divided
• 3 cups Powdered Confectioners' Sugar, plus a little extra if needed

1. In a 2-quart saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, reduce heat to low.

2. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Milk. Heat to boiling, remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

3. Pour the caramel into a large mixing bowl gradually stir in powdered sugar and milk. Beat with an electric hand mixer on low about 6 minutes until light and fluffy. If too stiff add milk a teaspoon at a time to get the right consistency. If too watery add additional powdered sugar beating on low until it reaches the right consistency.

4. Store in refrigerator for 15 minutes before frosting to help it firm up.