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Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes Recipe

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4.8 from 147 reviews

Decadent Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes featuring moist chocolate coffee-infused cake, rich caramel buttercream frosting with a caramel swirl, topped with luscious chocolate ganache and roasted pecans for a perfect blend of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

Scale

Caramel Sauce

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Chocolate Ganache

  • 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Cupcake Batter

  • 1 cup cake flour (see notes for measuring)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 tbsp cubed unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder

Caramel Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp salted caramel (prepared caramel sauce)
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Garnish

  • 1/2 cup roasted pecans, chopped
  • Additional caramel sauce, for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the Caramel Sauce: In a heavy pot over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Do not stir; instead, gently push the sugar as it melts to ensure even cooking. Once it turns amber, remove from heat immediately and carefully whisk in butter, heavy cream, and salt. The caramel will bubble vigorously—exercise caution. Stir until smooth, then transfer to a heatproof jar and allow to cool completely.
  2. Prepare the Chocolate Ganache: In a small pot, whisk together cocoa powder, granulated sugar, water, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium until boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and let cool to room temperature.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed for 3 minutes until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
  4. Mix Wet Ingredients: Whisk together sour cream, egg, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. In another small bowl, mix hot coffee with cocoa powder until smooth.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the egg mixture and coffee-cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even blending.
  6. Scoop and Bake: Line a cupcake pan with liners and fill each 3/4 full using a cookie scoop to handle the thin batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the cupcakes to cool completely on the rack.
  7. Make the Caramel Frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed, then increase to medium speed and beat until fluffy. Mix in cooled caramel sauce, heavy cream, and salt until well combined.
  8. Create the Caramel Swirls: Fit a piping bag with a large round tip. Dip a skewer into the cooled caramel sauce and drag lines vertically along the inside of the piping bag from the tip upwards to create caramel swirls. Repeat this 3-4 times. Fill the bag with the caramel buttercream frosting.
  9. Pipe the Frosting and Assemble: Pipe the caramel buttercream onto each cupcake. Spoon a layer of chocolate ganache over the frosting, then sprinkle with chopped roasted pecans. Finish with additional caramel drizzle if desired.

Notes

  • For accurate cake flour measurement, spoon the flour lightly into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid packing.
  • Using room temperature ingredients helps achieve a smooth batter and frosting texture.
  • The thin cupcake batter is best portioned with a cookie scoop to reduce mess and ensure even cupcake sizes.
  • Cool the caramel completely before adding it to the frosting to prevent it from melting the buttercream.
  • You can substitute roasted pecans with walnuts or almonds based on preference.

Keywords: Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes, caramel buttercream, chocolate ganache, roasted pecans, chocolate cupcakes, dessert

Find it online: https://miarosetti.com/chocolate-turtle-cupcakes-recipe/