Turtle Cupcakes

Rich, dark chocolate cupcake filled with gooey caramel-pecan filling topped with salted caramel buttercream, drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with toasted pecans - What could possibly be better than that?  Seriously?  I can think of no other cupcake that I would rather have on a plate in front of me right now.  This cupcake was one of the 12 cupcakes of Christmas and unfortunately, I do not have any left over.  I'm not really sure how I am going to get through this blog post without one, but here goes...

Turtle Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Filling
3 sticks butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Caramel Frosting
4 1/2 - 6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips








Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners. Melt chocolate and set aside to cool.




 

Sift together flour and baking soda.  Cream butter and sugars in mixer for 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Add chocolate.

Add the flour in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk and vanilla.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes.

 

Caramel Sauce
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in salt and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes. Stir in milk and return to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool 30-40 minutes. Spread 1 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake 5-7 minutes.

Cut the center out of cooled cupcakes. Combine 3/4 cup pecans and 1/2 cup caramel sauce. Drop a spoonful into the center of each cupcake.

Reserve 3 Tablespoons of caramel sauce for drizzling over cupcakes.

Frosting
Transfer remaining caramel sauce to bowl of mixer. Add powdered sugar and beat with paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes. Adjust consistency with milk.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl.

Transfer frosting to a pastry bag. Pipe icing on cupcake. Drizzle with caramel sauce and melted chocolate and garnish with toasted pecans.

Now I'm officially craving chocolate and pecans and caramel buttercream.  I may just have to make another batch of these soon. 


















I sent one of these cupcakes to each of my daughter's teacher at school for Christmas.  I hope that they loved them as much as I do.












Ciao!


Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Filling
3 sticks butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Caramel Frosting
4 1/2 - 6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners. Melt chocolate and set aside to cool. Sift together flour and baking soda. Cream butter and sugars in mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Add chocolate. Add the flour in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk and vanilla. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes.

Caramel Sauce
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in salt and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes. Stir in milk and return to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool 30-40 minutes. Spread 1 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake 5-7 minutes.

Cut the center out of cooled cupcakes. Combine 3/4 cup pecans and 1/2 cup caramel sauce. Drop a spoonful into the center of each cupcake. Replace the trimmed cupcake core over the filling. Reserve 3 Tablespoons of carmel sauce for drizzling over cupcakes.

Frosting
Transfer remaining caramel sauce to bowl of mixer. Add powdered sugar and beat with paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes. Adjust consistency with milk.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl.

Transfer frosting to a pastry bag. Pipe icing on cupcake. Drizzle with caramel sauce and melted chocolate and garnish with toasted pecans.