Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Center Surprise

Chocolate cupcakes get a fun upgrade with a gooey-sweet salted-caramel center. MORE+ LESS-

By Paula Jones

October 22, 2015

box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ devil’s food cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

salted caramels, unwrapped (from 7-oz bag)

containers (12 oz each) Betty Crocker™ Whipped chocolate ready-to-spread frosting

small pretzel twists, coarsely crushed

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1

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Place caramel onto center of batter in each cup; press caramel into batter just until covered.
2

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3

Place frosting in decorating bag fitted with round tip #20. Starting at outer edge of cupcakes, pipe frosting in spiral pattern, gradually elevating to a peak in center; garnish with pretzels.

If you have only one pan and a recipe calls for more cupcakes than your pan will make, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while baking the first batch. Cool the pan about 15 minutes, then bake the rest of the batter, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
If you do not have a decorating bag, you can use a resealable freezer or food-storage plastic bag. Simply snip a small opening at one bottom corner of the bag before piping frosting.
If you cannot find salted caramels, you can substitute regular caramels and sprinkle a small amount of fleur de sel sea salt or coarse sea salt on top of each.