5.0 from 66 votes
Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
These dark chocolate mini cupcakes are frosted with a rich salted caramel frosting for an indulgent, bite-sized treat. This recipe takes less than an hour to make and makes plenty to share. Perfect for parties! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
39 mins
Servings: 72 mini cupcakes
Calories: 32 kcal
Course:
Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 cup hot coffee (see note)
- 1 batch caramel frosting
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Note: If you are making the accompanying caramel frosting that I’ve linked to in the “Ingredients” section, I recommend making the caramel before beginning the cupcakes to give it ample time to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 24-count mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add canola oil, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
- Stir in milk until thoroughly-combined, then stir in hot coffee. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir again to ensure you have a uniform, well-combined batter.
- Divide better into mini muffin tin, filling liners ½-⅔ of the way full.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 14-15 minutes or cupcake tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack (I gently pry them up with a butter knife) to cool completely before covering with caramel frosting.
- Decorate with caramel frosting then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. I used the Wilton 2D tip for icing the cupcakes in the photos.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- This recipe makes 72+ mini cupcakes. If you only have one mini muffin tin, you can leave the batter on the counter while the first batch bakes, then upon removing from the oven allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the tin cool completely (this should happen pretty quickly once the tin is empty) before refilling with liners and batter.
- Coffee contributes a bolder, darker, chocolatier taste to the cupcakes, but you may substitute hot water instead. The important thing is that the liquid you use is very hot so that the cocoa powder can “bloom”, giving you a rich dark chocolate taste.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1mini cupcake
Calories
32kcal
(2%)
Carbohydrates
7g
(2%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
0.3g
(0%)
Saturated Fat
0.1g
(1%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.03g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
3mg
(1%)
Sodium
60mg
(3%)
Potassium
21mg
(1%)
Fiber
0.4g
(2%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
7IU
(0%)
Calcium
11mg
(1%)
Iron
0.3mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 72mini cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 32
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1mini cupcake | |
| Calories | 32kcal | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 0.3g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.03g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 60mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 21mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 7IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 11mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.