Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes
Moist chocolate cupcakes crowned with a silky smooth caramel Swiss meringue buttercream, topped with toasted pecans, and drizzled in both chocolate ganache and rich caramel!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel:
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (sliced into 16 pieces)
- 5-6 Tablespoons caramel (from recipe above)
Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
To Decorate:
- 28 whole toasted pecans
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees, and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Add the espresso powder to the hot water, and stir until fully dissolved; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and both sugars until incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients along with the espresso liquid. Stir everything together until just combined.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Caramel:
- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals hit the sides. Add the corn syrup.
- Place pan over medium heat, leaving it alone for the first 5 minutes or until it the color begins to turn yellowish. Once you see some color, gently swirl the pan around occasionally as it boils. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 4 to 7 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt and vanilla, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Transfer to a shallow dish for quicker cooling. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
Make the Buttercream:
- Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, and place the bowl over a simmering pot of water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until sugar is dissolved and the temperature registers 150-160°F on a candy thermometer, about 3-5 minutes.
- Secure whisk attachment onto stand mixer, and beat the egg white mixture on high speed until fluffy and cooled to room temperature. Add the butter, one piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks curdled, that’s totally normal–just keep beating until it becomes smooth and satiny.*
- Add 5 Tablespoons of the cooled caramel; beat until fully incorporated. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag, fitted with a star tip. I used Wilton's 2D tip.
Make the Ganache:
- Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a glass measuring cup, and heat in the microwave until it just begins to simmer. Pour hot cream over the chocolate, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
To Assemble:
- Pipe buttercream on top of cupcake, then garnish with two whole pecans. Drizzle with the ganache and caramel. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
*If your SMB still looks curdled no matter how long you’ve beaten it, simply remove a couple of tablespoons of the curdled frosting and place it into a small microwaveable bowl. Heat it in the microwave until it’s completely melted, then add it back into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on, and beat everything until it’s smooth. If it still looks curdled, just keep repeating this reheating technique a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. If the buttercream looks soupy and runny, chill the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Take it out, then beat the mixture until smooth and satiny.