Description
A delicious sweet treat for all popcorn fans out there – Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Cupcakes. They are a lot, but they are good ;)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
11.3 oz. (320g) all-purpose flour
1.8 oz. (50g) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
7 oz. (200g) sugar
1.8 oz. (50g) brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
13.6 fl. oz. (400ml) coconut milk
1/2 cup (120ml) rapeseed oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the buttercream:
1 cup (230g) butter, at room temperature
8.8 oz. (250g) confectioners’ sugar
3 oz. (80g) cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3.5 oz. (100g) semi-sweet chocolate, melted
For the filling & decorations:
1 glass jar of caramel (e.g. Bonne Maman Caramel* or similar)
several packs of salted caramel popcorn* or sweet popcorn*
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, both sugars, and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add coconut milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the paper liners – they should be only about 3/4 full (or they will probably overflow). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Take out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool down completely.
2. For the buttercream, melt the chocolate and let cool down a bit – it should have »body temperature« at the most. Add the butter to a large bowl and mix for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and mix slowly first, then on high for several minutes until everything is well combined and fluffy. Finally, add the melted (and cooled) chocolate and continue mixing on high for another 3-4 minutes. Fill into a piping bag with a large star tip.
3. To assemble the cupcakes, cut a hole into each cupcake (use a knife or cupcake corer*). Fill the holes with some caramel. Pipe some buttercream on top and then press the popcorn into the buttercream. If you like, you can warm up some leftover caramel and drizzle it over the cupcakes just before serving.
Notes
Let the baking begin!