Caramel Filled Cupcakes

I've had about 1/3 of a bag of Kraft Caramel Bits in my pantry ever since I made Turtle Pecan Cluster Cookies. I've also had this great idea for cupcakes since then. I just haven't had the time to make said cupcakes. Well, finally, I was able to. 

Now, I'm a huge fan of caramel. You see, I have loved the stuff since my parents first introduced me to it. Then, at 7 1/2 years old, I was forced to stop eating it. I got braces, and I had them for six years. At almost 14 years old, freedom was finally awarded to me. Instantly, I went for everything I couldn't eat with braces...corn on the cob, pizza without a fork, gum, and the amazing caramel. 

These cupcakes combine the richness of chocolate and carmel, a perfect combination. 

Here's what you need for the cake:

2 cups of flour

3/4 cup of cocoa powder

1 cup of melted butter

2 1/2 cups of brown sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup of hot water (optional)

Directions: Print this Recipe

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder. The whisking keeps you from having to sift. In a separate large bowl, mix in order the brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and water. Add the dry mix to the wet. Mix well. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

After the cupcakes cool, use a small knife to cut a "cone" out of the center of the cupcake. Make sure you don't cut out too much. 

Now you will need to make the caramel sauce. This is pretty easy. 

You'll need:

1 1/3 cup of Kraft Caramel Bits

1/3 cup of heavy cream

In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream and the caramels until the caramel are melted. Make sure you stir with a rubber spatula constantly so the caramel doesn't burn. 

Fill the hole in your cupcakes with the caramel sauce. Be sure not to fill the hole too much, because you will be covering it.

Remember that piece of cake you cut out of your cupcake? Slice the cone part off so that it is now a flat piece of cake. We will call the result the topper. Place the topper onto the caramel to cover it. Now you are ready to frost.

I'll admit, I cheated and used canned fudge frosting. Hey, I made the cake and halfway made the caramel sauce. Plus, I actually like canned frosting. 

Drizzle some of your remaining caramel sauce onto the top of your frosting. This may get messy, so be prepared to do a lot of cleaning. 

I am really happy with the way these turned out. I mean they don't only look amazing, they taste great too!

My favorite dessert is pretty much anything with caramel. What's yours?

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