Give me a cupcake and I’m happy. I’m not sure why exactly they make me happy – maybe it’s the smaller size, the fact that everyone can get an individual cake and there is no need to share… or maybe just because there are so many delicious options to chose from ;P Well, these Salted Caramel Cupcakes are definitely in my »Top 10« of the best cupcakes in existence ;) I know that’s a bold statement but just try them – I am pretty sure you will agree with me as soon as you had one. And btw – these delicious little cakes are also vegan. Almost forgot to mention that.
If you haven’t figured out by now – I am a really big fan of cupcakes. This blog came to life with a delicious batch of Tiramisu Cupcakes – that was almost 10 years ago ;) My love for cupcakes did not change a lot since then. My cupcakes today are probably not as calorie-lade as they used to be, also a bit more often vegan or gluten-free. Besides that not much changed. Still in love with the smaller size and the variety of cupcakes you can make.
Cupcakes have been around for quite a while – they were first mentioned in a cookbook at the end of the 18th century. However, it took a while for them to get really popular. The beginning of the 90s was the beginning of a cupcake craze in the US. A delay of almost 200 years. I guess some trends just need a bit longer to take off. Especially without Instagram or TikTok around back then ;P I am pretty sure if they had made these cupcakes back then they would have been an instant hit – right from the start! ;P
Maybe a few words about the cupcakes and the decoration.
The cupcakes are basically really easy to prepare. Make sure you do not overfill the paper liners. The dough rises quite a bit and if you fill the paper liners too much these cupcakes tend to overflow during baking. So less (a bit) is more in this case here ;P
The vegan buttercream is a super simple buttercream. To get a super creamy texture you should not try to hurry things up. Take your time and let the kitchen machine do its job. The longer you whisk, the creamier and airier the buttercream gets. The amount of butter and chocolate in the cream is quite high – this means it will firm up in the fridge. That’s great if you need to transport the cupcakes because the buttercream will stay where it is on cooled cupcakes, but you also have to let the cupcakes come to room temperature before serving for the best results.
The chocolate truffles and ganache filling are little »highlights« when it comes to these cupcakes. The truffles are super chocolaty and explode with flavors when you bite into them… well and the ganache filling just makes the cupcakes a hundred times better ;P The truffles need some time and need to be prepared a day in advance. Definitely keep that in mind. The ganache will firm up when cooling down – in case that happens just reheat it shortly in the microwave and everything will be fine. All easy-peasy ;)
But now let’s get to the recipe! Unfortunately, these cupcakes are not baking themselves…
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(12-14 cupcakes)
For the vegan chocolate truffles:
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) plant-based heavy cream
cocoa powder for rolling
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 ganache filling:
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) plant-based heavy cream, plus some more if needed
For the vegan buttercream:
9 oz. (250g) vegan margarine, at room temperature
10.6 oz. (300g) confectioners’ sugar
3 oz. (80g) cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3.5 oz. (100g) Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), melted
(12-14 Cupcakes)
Für die veganen Schokoladentrüffel:
50g Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), gehackt
50g Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), gehackt
50g pflanzliche Sahne
Kakaopulver zum Rollen
Für die Cupcakes:
320g Mehl (Type 405)
50g Kakaopulver
1 1/2 TL Backpulver
1 TL Natron
200g Zucker
50g brauner Zucker
1/4 TL Salz
400ml Kokosmilch
120ml Rapsöl
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
Für die Ganache Füllung:
50g Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), gehackt
50g pflanzliche Sahne, ggf. etwas mehr
Für die vegane Buttercreme:
250g vegane Margarine, Zimmertemperatur
300g Puderzucker
80g Kakaopulver
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
100g Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), geschmolzen
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the chocolate truffles for the decoration, because they need some time to finish. Chop both types of chocolate coarsely, add together with the plant-based heavy cream to a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat up gently (in short intervals) in the microwave. Mix to combine the melted chocolate with the cream to get a smooth ganache. Cover and let cool down overnight at room temperature. The ganache should be quite firm the next day – use a spoon and scoop out small portions of ganache, shape them into small balls, and roll them in some cocoa powder. You will probably get more truffles than you need for the decoration. Store the chocolate truffles in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). 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.
3. For the ganache filling chop the chocolate coarsely, add together with the heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat up in the microwave in short intervals until the chocolate has melted. Stir to combine. Let cool down.
4. For the vegan buttercream melt the chocolate and let cool down a bit – it should have »body temperature« at the most. Add the vegan margarine to a large bowl and mix for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add 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.
5. To assemble the cupcakes cut a hole into every cupcake (use a knife or cupcake corer*). Fill the holes with ganache filling. Pipe a good amount of vegan buttercream on top and decorate the cupcakes with truffles and a piece of chocolate. Store in the fridge but let come to room temperature before serving.
1. Mit den Trüffeln für die Dekoration starten, da diese einen Tag vorab zubereitet werden müssen. Dazu beide Schokoladensorten grob hacken, zusammen mit der pflanzlichen Sahne in eine mikrowellengeeignete Schüssel geben und dann in der Mikrowelle in kurzen Intervallen erwärmen und die Schokolade schmelzen. Alles gut verrühren, bis eine schöne Ganache entstanden ist. Die Schüssel abdecken und dann über Nacht bei Zimmertemperatur fest werden lassen. Am nächsten Tag dann mit einem Löffel kleine Portionen abstechen und zu Kugeln formen (ist etwas klebrig). Die Kugeln im Kakao wälzen. Es werden vermutlich mehr Trüffel dabei rauskommen, als man für die Deko benötigt – bis zur weiteren Verwendung im Kühlschrank aufbewahren.
2. Den Ofen auf 160°C (320°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Muffinblech mit Papierförmchen bestücken und zur Seite stellen. Mehl, Kakao, Backpulver, Natron, beide Zuckerarten und das Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Kokosmilch, Öl und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben, alles gut verrühren. Den Teig auf die Förmchen verteilen – jedes sollte max. 3/4 befüllt sein, sonst läuft der Teig beim Backen eventuell über. Die Cupcakes für 40-45 Minuten backen. Mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und die Cupcakes erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber herauskommt. Die Cupcakes aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
3. Für die Ganache Füllung die Schokolade grob hacken, zusammen mit der Sahne in eine mikrowellengeeignete Schüssel geben und in kurzen Intervallen in der Mikrowelle erhitzen, bis die Schokolade geschmolzen ist. Alles gut verrühren und abkühlen lassen.
4. Für die vegane Buttercreme die Schokolade schmelzen und abkühlen lassen – sie sollte höchstens handwarm sein. Die vegane Margarine in eine große Schüssel geben und einige Minuten lang aufschlagen. Puderzucker, Kakao und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und erst langsam, dann mehrere Minuten lang auf höchster Stufe aufschlagen, bis alles gut vermischt und luftig ist. Als Letztes die geschmolzene (und abgekühlte) Schokolade dazugeben und weitere 3-4 Minuten auf höchster Stufe aufschlagen. Die Creme in einen Spritzbeutel mit großer Sterntülle füllen.
5. Für den Zusammenbau der Cupcakes in jeden Cupcake ein Loch schneiden (mit einem Messer oder Cupcake Corer*). In die entstandene Vertiefung dann die Ganache einfüllen. Auf jeden Cupcake dann eine gute Portion Buttercreme aufspritzen und die mit den Trüffeln und etwas Schokolade dekorieren. Die Cupcakes im Kühlschrank aufbewahren – vor dem Servieren allerdings auf Zimmertemperatur kommen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 00:45
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 24:00
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you want to indulge yourself with something delicious and sweet (but vegan) you might want to try these Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes. So good!
Ingredients
For the vegan chocolate truffles:
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) plant-based heavy cream
cocoa powder for rolling
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 ganache filling:
1.8 oz. (50g) Ritter Sport Salted Caramel (vegan), chopped
1.8 oz. (50g) plant-based heavy cream, plus some more if needed
For the vegan buttercream:
9 oz. (250g) vegan margarine, at room temperature
10.6 oz. (300g) confectioners’ sugar
3 oz. (80g) cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3.5 oz. (100g) Ritter Sport Halbbitter (vegan), melted
Instructions
1. Start with the chocolate truffles for the decoration, because they need some time to finish. Chop both types of chocolate coarsely, add together with the plant-based heavy cream to a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat up gently (in short intervals) in the microwave. Mix to combine the melted chocolate with the cream to get a smooth ganache. Cover and let cool down overnight at room temperature. The ganache should be quite firm the next day – use a spoon and scoop out small portions of ganache, shape them into small balls, and roll them in some cocoa powder. You will probably get more truffles than you need for the decoration. Store the chocolate truffles in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). 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.
3. For the ganache filling chop the chocolate coarsely, add together with the heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat up in the microwave in short intervals until the chocolate has melted. Stir to combine. Let cool down.
4. For the vegan buttercream melt the chocolate and let cool down a bit – it should have »body temperature« at the most. Add the vegan margarine to a large bowl and mix for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add 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.
5. To assemble the cupcakes cut a hole into every cupcake (use a knife or cupcake corer*). Fill the holes with ganache filling. Pipe a good amount of vegan buttercream on top and decorate the cupcakes with truffles and a piece of chocolate. Store in the fridge but let come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
