Dark Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Alright, so let’s jump into this recipe with both feet! We begin at the base of this delicious dessert: the dark chocolate brownie cupcake! These cupcakes are rich, fudgy, and utterly decadent. They are slightly more dense and chewy than a typical chocolate chocolate cupcake, but um, that’s because they’re brownie cupcakes! The tops of the baked cupcakes will be shiny and kind of crinkly (just like a tray of brownies fresh from the oven), so don’t panic if they look a little different than what you’re expecting. They’re going to satisfy you 100%!

Making this frosting is a little different than the usual “beat butter; add sugar; add cream; you’re done” scenario. You’re going to start by making a caramel sauce. This is really easy and only takes a few minutes on the stove-top. My biggest piece of advice here is to stay close while the caramel is cooking. Caramel happens fast, and if you walk away to check your email or feed your dog, you may very well return to a pot full of burnt ingredients. And that would a shame.

Once the caramel is cooked and cooled (just a few minutes!), you’re going to add it to a mixing bowl, add in some confectioners’ sugar, and beat it until it’s nice and smooth. You’ll add more sugar as you go, and beat it on high for a few minutes. Then it’s done! See? Not too scary, right? Now you’re free to decorate your brownie cupcakes as you please! I chose to swirl the frosting on high, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and finally top with a chewy little caramel. I’m dramatic like that.

Ingredients
For the Dark Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used high quality chocolate chips here)
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour here)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a cupcake pan with liners; set aside.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place that bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water. Stir until the butter and chocolate are completely melted. Add in the brown sugar, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla; whisk well to combine. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for a few minutes.
3. ..............................................

for full instruction please see : bakerbynature.com