Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts
Ingredients
For the black cocoa cupcakes:
- 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 63 g (¾ cup) black cocoa powder*
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 198 g (14 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 250 g (1 ¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 113 g (½ cup) sour cream, room temp
- 100 g (½ cup) neutral oil*
For the salted caramel sauce:
- Get the ingredients here
For the swiss meringue:
- 72 g egg whites, about 2 egg whites
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Black sprinkles, for the ghost eyes
Instructions
For the black cocoa cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light & fluffy.
- Mixing on low speed, add the eggs one a time.
- Scrape down the bowl and mix in the vanilla.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Mix in the sour cream and oil.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Fill the cupcake pan by adding 5 tablespoons of batter to each cup.*
- Smooth out the batter with a spoon and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the salted caramel sauce:
- Get the instructions here
For the swiss meringue:
- In a double boiler, heat the egg whites, sugar, and salt, whisking frequently until it reaches 160 degrees F or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites do not feel grainy.
- Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form, then add the vanilla.
- Continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Decorate the cupcakes immediately.
For assembly:
- With a small (about 1") round cookie cutter, remove the centers of the cupcakes, pressing about ⅔ of the way into them.
- Cut the very top of the centers off and reserve them.
- Fill the cupcakes with cool caramel sauce and place the top of the centers back on.
- Pipe the meringue as desired and add black sprinkles to give the ghosts eyes. Enjoy!
Notes
- The caramel sauce MUST be cool for filling the cupcakes, so I recommend making it at least 1 hour ahead of time. Caramel sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, so it can be made far in advance if necessary.
- If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder.
- Use a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. I recommend using light-tasting extra virgin olive oil.
- It can be difficult to tell exactly how much to fill a cupcake pan, so to make it easier I recommend adding 5 tablespoons of batter to each. I used a 2 tablespoon & 1 tablespoon cookie scoops.
- These cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made. If you would like them to last longer or to make them ahead of time, hold off with the meringue until the day they are served.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
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