Last week I was in the mood to celebrate, so I decided to make myself the cupcake version of a chocolate turtle – a moist chocolate cupcake stuffed with homemade salted caramel and pecans.
I gilded the cupcake by topping it off with chocolate ganache frosting and a drizzle of more salted caramel. My tummy is grumbling just remembering these beauties.
What was I celebrating? Well, last week I ran my first fifty-plus week since I was pregnant with the baby. Okay, maybe she isn't a baby anymore. She's already 19 months old!
I love running, and I love sweets. It's sort of a dysfunctional coexistence, but I'd like to think that I balance the sugar intake with running 🙂
The salted caramel/pecan filling is so good that I started eating it with a spoon. Then I heard a little voice say, "Mommy! Mommy! Stop eating the candy for the cupcakes!" Ahh, the voice of reason coming from my five-year-old. Good thing she was there to stop me because the filling is amazingly addictive. I'm thinking of just making the filling one of these days and putting it over a scoop of ice cream. Or maybe just getting rid of the ice cream and eating the salted caramel/pecan filling all by its lonesome.
While these cupcakes may seem to have too many components to be considered simple, they're super easy to make because the process is easily broken down into steps. You can make the cupcakes, salted caramel filling, and ganache one day. The next day (the day you plan to eat or serve the cupcakes), mix the pecans into the salted caramel, whip the ganache, and assemble the cupcakes. Then you're done, and you can focus on gorging yourself with these confections!
Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart's One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
3/4 tbs white vinegar
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard size cupcake tin with paper liners.
Mix the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Let it stand (the milk will separate).
Sift the cocoa, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, warm water, milk and vinegar mixture, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full of the batter.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking time.
Salted Caramel Filling
Adapted from the blog Sweet as Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbs butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs heavy cream at room temperature
Instructions:
Place the sugar in a medium-heavy-bottom pan. Cook over medium heat. Once the sugar at the edges of the pan starts to turn dark amber, use a heatproof spatula to drag the cooked sugar to the center of the pan. There's no need to continually mix. Allow all of the sugar to reach a deep, amber color. Watch the caramel carefully because it can easy turn from being a deep amber to being burnt!
Once the sugar is a deep enough color, add the butter, and stir until melted.
Then carefully add the salt and cream. At this point, the caramel will bubble vigorously, and it will be extremely hot. Please add the cream with caution. Whisk the mixture until smooth, and allow it to cool until it's a thick consistency.
Ganache Frosting
12 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
Heat cream over a medium-low flame on the stove until simmering.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for a one minute. Add the vanilla then whisk the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth. Allow it to cool completely.
Then whisk the ganache until it is creamy and light.
Assemble the Cupcakes
2/3 cup chopped pecans
baked chocolate cupcakes
cooled salted caramel
whipped ganache frosting
sharp paring knife
Instructions:
Mix 1/2 of the salted caramel mixture with 1/4 of a cup of chopped pecans.
Carve out a 1 1/2 inch circle in the center of each cupcake using a sharp paring knife.
Fill the carved-out center with a heaping teaspoon of the salted caramel and pecan filling. Replace the top of the cupcake piece you carved out of the cupcake to cover the filling.
Dip the edges of each cupcake in the reserved salted caramel and rim with the remaining chopped pecans.
Top each cupcake with a generous scoop of ganache frosting, and drizzle with reserved salted caramel.
Yields 18 cupcakes
This Post is linked to the following parties: Craft-O-Maniac: Monday Link Party, Skip to My Lou: Made by you Monday, Say Not Sweet Anne: Sweet Sharing Monday, I Should be Mopping the Floor: Inspiration Monday, This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays, Inside BruCrew Life: Time to Sparkle, Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends, Kathe with and E: You're Gonna Love It, Naptime Creations: Tasteful Tuesdays, Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show, Pint Sized Baker: Two Cup Tuesday, Kitchen Meets Girl: Wake Up Wednesdays, The NY Melrose Family: Whimsy Wednesdays, Lady Behind the Curtain: Cast Party Wednesday, This Silly Girl's Life: Lovely Ladies Linky, The Mandatory Mooch: Tasty Thursdays,What's Cooking, Love?: Showcase Your Talent Thursday,The Frugal Girls: Chic and Crafty Party, Tidy Mom: I'm Lovin' It, 7Alive all Livin' in a Double Wide: The Project Stash, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons: Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday, Shakin' Together: What's Shakin', Simple Living and Eating: Foodie Friday, Happy Hour Projects: Happy Hour Friday, Tater Tots and Jelle: Link Party Palooza,The Thriftiness Miss: Weekend Wonders, A Room for Two With a View: Foodie Friday,The Country Cook: Weekend Potluck,Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Satruday, Cheerios and Lattes: Saturday Show and Tell, Will Cook for Smiles: Show Stopper Saturday, Buns in My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday?
Okay, YUM. Though three of the last four baking projects I’ve done have involved caramel so totally pinning this for a future when I haven’t ODed on it quite so hard! Thanks!
Oh My Gunnis! These look so good! Of course, I HAVE to pin this! Thanks so much for sharing these on the Sweet Sharing Linkey. I enjoyed your site, and would love you to come over and visit my site at http://www.kneadedcreations.com Hope to see you there, and have a great week! Deb @ Kneaded Creations
I think I just gained 10 pounds scrolling through your site! YUM! Everything looks amazing!
Your cupcakes look so good, my mouth is watering just from looking at the pictures.
These cupcakes look amazing, Aida! I wish I had one right now! Pinning and sharing on social media. Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Mondays!
Hi Ali,
I feel for your affinity for caramel. I find that almost everything I bake these days includes some type of caramel. Thanks for pinning them. Let me know how they turn out when you make them 🙂
Best,
Aida
Hi Deb,
Thanks so much for the kind words! I hope you give these cupcakes a try! Thanks for stopping by The Crafting Foodie! Hope to see you around here often 🙂
Hi Kelley,
Lol! If I could only enjoy baked goods by looking at them instead of eating them, it would be perfect. Thanks for stopping by The Crafting Foodie!
Best,
Aida
Hi Darlene,
Thanks so much! The cupcakes taste even better than they look 🙂 Thanks for stopping by The Crafting Foodie. I hope to see you around here often.
Best,
Aida
Oh my goodness! These cupcakes looks absolutely amazing!!! I can’t wait to try them.
wow! I’m going to need you to send me a couple of these to test! Pinned! Thanks for joining us at Marvelous Mondays pinned to my Marv Mon. board.
These cupcakes look amazing! I’m gonna have to try this recipe soon. Pinned!
Hello, returning the blog love (you checked out mine earlier). This is such a beautiful picture, it looks so appetizing! I am following you now on Google+ 🙂
These look amazing! Thank you for linking up to The Project Stash. I just pinned these to my Amazing Cupcakes Pinterest Board!
Hi Aida,
This is seriously troublesome and I know I will have to try these cupcakes.They really knocked me dowm…Oh they looked so good..Thank You for sharing!!!!
These sound and look delicious!
holy schmoly. it’s the cupcakes of my dreams! i’m SOOO happy you commented on my blog and led me here-your blog is BEAUTY FULL! :>D
Turtles are so irresistible and I would bet your cupcakes are too! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Hi Sherri,
I hope you do give them a try. They’re so rich and delicious!
Thanks for stopping by the Crafting Foodie! Hope to see you here often.
Best,
Aida
Wow Aida…these look amazing, especially becuse I am obsessed with salted caramel right now. The best part is you can do most of the work ahead of time. I’ll probably eat all the salted caramel before I get to the rest of the recipe 🙂
These look absolutely amazing! I love the frosting on top!
Hi Ritchil,
Thanks so much! These cupcakes really are delicious – the salted caramel frosting and pecans. Such salty-sweet goodness! I hope you give them a try!
Thanks for stopping by The Crafting Foodie! Hope to see you around often.
Best,
Aida
Hi Mareli,
Sorry for causing trouble with the cupcakes 😉 I do hope you give them a try. They’re so worth it!
Thanks for stopping by the Crafting Foodie! Hope to see you around here more often!
Best,
Aida
Hi Nadia,
Thanks so much! They’re pretty good little treats.
Best,
Aida
Lisa,
Thanks so much for the kind comments about my blog! It means a lot from such a great blogger like you. You’re blog is full of such creative ideas, and your posts are laugh-out-loud funny!
I hope to see you around here more often!
Best,
Aida
Hi Karly,
Thanks so much! Chocolate turtles were my very favorite chocolate treat growing up, and these cupcakes do them justice. I hope you give them a try! Thanks for hosting such a great link party!
Best,
Aida
Hey there Momprojects! I hear you loud and clear on the salted caramel! I too am obsessed with it, and I nearly did eat all of the salted caramel and pecan filling. Try these cupcakes. You won’t regret it!
Best,
Aida
Aida, these cupcakes look and sound absolutely incredible! Thank you so much for sharing them at the Cupcake Link Party celebrating Love Bakes Good Cakes. Love this! Pinning! Hope you are having a wonderful week!
Thanks so much Cindy! It was my pleasure helping celebrate Love Bakes Good Cakes Blog Birthday!