Salted Caramel Topped Chocolate Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs and spinach purée with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about three-fourths full.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, spread about 2 tablespoons whipped topping on each cupcake; drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon caramel topping. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Cool completely before proceeding.
• In a piping bag, add thick stripes of caramel to the sides of the bag before spooning in the chocolate frosting. This will give a caramel swirl when the frosting is piped onto the cupcake. Pipe frosting onto all cupcakes.
• Crush mini pretzels to sprinkle over the top of the frosting. Garnish each cupcake with one whole mini pretzel.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole cake tin with paper cases.
• Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Briefly mix in the flour until just combined, and stir in the milk until the batter just falls off the beaters.
• Divide the mixture between the cases, leaving about 2 tbsp batter in the bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce if it's not salted caramel, then add ½ tsp to the tops of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to cover the caramel sauce with the remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 mins until springy and golden. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar together, then tip in the remaining icing sugar and whisk vigorously until pale and fluffy. Stir in half of the caramel sauce, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a round or star nozzle.
• Pipe swirls of icing on top of the cooled cupcakes. Stir the remaining caramel sauce with a pinch of salt, if unsalted, then use to drizzle over the icing. Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt over each, if you like.