Brown Sugar and Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes Filled and Drizzled with a Rich Caramel like Sauce. Dominating in notes of Browned Butter, Caramel and a hint of Chocolate, these cupcakes are the perfect sweet indulgence.
It’s that awkward time for [dessert] food bloggers when most of us are unsure of what to post. By the thought of September fast approaching, kids going back to school and the slight change in the weather, we get excited for what Autumn brings. Post all things “Fall baking,” and for some folks, it’s too early. On the other hand, continue to stay in lane with Summer recipes and we fall behind.
Over the years, I still can’t get this right. I always feel as though I’m throwing something against the wall and seeing what sticks but with each year, it changes. With that said, I thought brown sugar and chocolate swirl cupcakes might be a safe place to start. Knowing that this flavor of a cupcake is much more common during the latter months, it can still be enjoyed at any time of the year. Today, I’m simply warming you up to what we will all soon be consumed with: pumpkin, caramel and apple flavors.
Over the weekend, on a whim I decided to make cupcakes and by the title of this recipe, brown sugar was the winning ingredient. I’ve had my hand in this flavor separately as a cake and as a frosting. Both were incredible so it was easy to create an all-around cupcake knee deep in brown sugar and I’m in love!
Just to throw in a little depth of flavor, I entertained the idea of including chocolate into the mix. It came out fantastic! And creating this beautiful swirl similar to these muffins was exactly what I hoped for.
But if you thought the cake was the star of the dessert, you’d be surprised when I say, it’s the brown sugar drizzle! Just that little part completes the cupcake as if it was love in a marriage. It tastes like a cross between browned butter, caramel and brown sugar all in one. And it’s AMAZING! I’ve made it once before in this Harvest Cake but I never saved any portion of the sauce. This time, I made no mistake and decided to save a little for two parts of this treat: for the cake and the drizzle.
Filling these cupcakes with the brown sugar sauce was the best decision. Because it’s not thick like pudding or jam, the sauce essentially melts into the cupcake. This leaves it super moist further adding to the overall flavor. In addition, the sauce drizzled over the top intensifies the frosting’s flavor and makes it quite fun to eat.
Personally, I like to eat cakes at room temperature or slightly warmed. With a leftover cupcake on hand, I microwaved it for about 30 seconds and when I bit into the center, OH MY WORD!! It’s the best! You’ll just have to try it to understand. I hope you do and when you do, let me know what you think. 🙂
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Brown Sugar and Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A Cupcake Filled and Drizzled with a Rich Brown Sugar Sauce. Dominating in notes of Browned Butter and Caramel flavors with a hint of Chocolate, these cupcakes are the perfect sweet indulgence.
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) oat milk or whole milk, divided
- 1/3 cup (80 grams) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ounce (28 grams) milk or sweetened chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) cocoa powder
FROSTING
- 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (311 grams) unsalted butter, softened and divided
- 1 cup (220 grams) dark brown sugar
- 10 tablespoons (150 grams) oat milk or whole milk, divided
- 5 to 6 cups (600 to 720 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- CUPCAKES: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 12 cupcake wells with a cupcake liner; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium to high speed until fluffy with a wet sand-like appearance, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 1/4 cup milk, sour cream and vanilla. Continue to mix until well blended.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture into 2 parts, mixing until just combined and no dry flour pockets remain.
- Remove 1 cup (215 grams) of batter into a small bowl. Mix in melted chocolate, cocoa powder and 1/4 cup milk. Mixture may initially appear to be more wet than the brown sugar batter.
- Beginning with the brown sugar batter, pour 1 heaping tablespoon into each cupcake liner alternating with 1 heaping tablespoon of chocolate batter until each liner is about 3/4 full. Using a toothpick or knife, cut through the batter and create 3 to 4 swirls. Do not swirl too much or the batter will begin to blend.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs. Let cupcakes rest in the pan for 1 minute before carefully removing them onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- FROSTING: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar; mix continuously until completely melted. Increase heat to high, stir in 6 tablespoons milk and boil for 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and allow the sugar mixture to cool to room temperature. The amount of liquid should reduce to about 1 to 1 1/4 cups and should thicken to a sauce when cooled.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 1 cup butter, 4 cups powdered sugar and vanilla, on low to medium speed, until mixture becomes light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add another cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of the cooled brown sugar mixture and 2 tablespoons of milk. Continue to mix until the frosting becomes smooth and spreadable. Note: If the frosting is too thin, add a cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between each addition. If the frosting is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition.
- ASSEMBLY: Using a cupcake corer or plastic straw, core out the center of each cooled cupcake. If using a straw, after coring every 3 cupcakes, cut the tip to create a clean cut.
- Pour remaining brown sugar sauce into a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip. Slightly insert the tip of the piping bag into each cupcake to fill until you feel pushback when the cupcake is full. Set the remaining sauce aside to use as a drizzle.
- In a large piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (I used Wilton 2D), fill the bag about 3/4 full, twist the opening of the bag to close in the frosting. Pipe swirls clockwise or counterclockwise beginning toward the outer edge of the cupcake and working inward toward the center at each layer of the swirl. Drizzle cupcakes with brown sugar sauce and ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brown sugar cupcakes, chocolate swirl, fall baking, fall cupcakes
