Decadent Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting: A Gourmet Treat Made Easy
Prepare to indulge in the ultimate dessert experience with these **Chocolate Caramel filled Cupcakes**, featuring a rich chocolate cream cheese frosting, a luscious caramel drizzle, and a delightful surprise filling of gooey dulce de leche. These aren’t just any cupcakes; they are a gourmet bakery-style treat designed to impress, yet surprisingly easy to create in your home kitchen.
What makes these chocolate cupcakes truly special is their unique preparation, starting with a humble cake mix and elevating it with key ingredients. Much like our Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies, this recipe incorporates chocolate pudding mix directly into the batter. This secret ingredient is the key to achieving an extraordinarily soft, moist, and tender crumb that sets these cupcakes apart from the rest. The result is a cupcake that feels and tastes entirely homemade, despite the convenient cake mix base.
The combination of rich chocolate and sweet, creamy caramel is a timeless classic that evokes pure dessert bliss. When these flavors come together in a cupcake, especially with the decadent addition of dulce de leche, the outcome is nothing short of dreamy. Just as they do in our German Chocolate Cookies, chocolate and caramel harmonize perfectly, creating a flavor profile that is both comforting and sophisticated. These aren’t just delicious; they are award-winning chocolate cupcakes that have garnered rave reviews and have been the star of many gatherings and bake sales, cherished by all who taste them.
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⭐️ Why These Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Are THE BEST
- Pudding Mix Magic: The addition of instant chocolate pudding mix is a game-changer. It doesn’t just add an extra layer of chocolate flavor; the starch in the pudding helps the cupcakes retain moisture, making them incredibly soft, tender, and preventing them from drying out quickly. This simple step elevates a standard cake mix into a luxurious, bakery-quality treat.
- Double the Dulce de Leche: We’re taking caramel obsession to the next level! These cupcakes are generously stuffed with gooey dulce de leche, a rich, slow-cooked milk caramel that boasts a deeper, more complex flavor than traditional caramel. And because too much dulce de leche is never enough, we drizzle even more on top, ensuring a burst of sweet, buttery caramel in every single bite. It’s an indulgence that truly makes these cupcakes extra special.
- Heavenly Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: The homemade chocolate buttercream frosting is a masterpiece on its own. Made with tangy cream cheese and rich butter, it offers a perfect balance to the sweetness of the chocolate cupcake and the dulce de leche. Its velvety texture and deep chocolate flavor make it an irresistible topping that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
- Milk for Supreme Softness: Unlike many cake mix recipes that call for water, we use milk. The fats and proteins in milk contribute significantly to a richer flavor and a more tender, moist crumb. This simple substitution results in cupcakes that are unbelievably soft and decadent, providing a superior base for our delicious fillings and frosting.
🧁 Key Ingredients for Moist Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
- Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix: This is our convenient base. We recommend using a high-quality brand like Betty Crocker or Pillsbury for consistent results. Devil’s Food cake mix offers a deep, rich chocolate flavor that pairs beautifully with caramel. A Triple Fudge chocolate cake mix can also be used for an even more intense chocolate experience.
- Chocolate Pudding Mix (Instant): Crucial for the super soft texture. Ensure you choose instant pudding mix, not the “cook and serve” variety, as they have different properties and will not yield the same results. Generic or store brands work perfectly fine. The pudding mix not only enhances the chocolate flavor but also adds essential moisture, ensuring your cupcakes are incredibly tender.
- Milk: Opt for whole milk or 2% milk. The fat content in milk contributes to a richer, more flavorful batter and a moister crumb compared to using water. This simple swap significantly improves the overall texture and taste of the cupcakes.
- Sour Cream: This ingredient is a secret weapon for maintaining moisture. Sour cream’s acidity reacts with leavening agents in the cake mix to create a tender, fluffy texture, and its fat content keeps the cupcakes moist for longer periods, preventing them from drying out too quickly.
- Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable, canola, or light olive oil. Oil helps to create a moist and tender crumb. It prevents the cupcakes from becoming dry, ensuring they remain soft and delicious even after a day or two.
- Dulce de Leche: The star of our filling and drizzle! You can either use homemade dulce de leche for a truly authentic flavor or use a good quality store-bought canned version for convenience. Its thick, creamy texture and deep caramel notes are essential for these gourmet cupcakes.
- Cream Cheese (for frosting): Full-fat or ⅓ fat cream cheese works best for achieving a stable, rich, and creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting. The tanginess of the cream cheese perfectly cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel, creating a balanced flavor profile.
- Butter (for frosting): Salted butter is highly recommended for the chocolate frosting. The salt helps to enhance the flavors of the chocolate and cream cheese, preventing the frosting from being overly sweet and adding a delicious depth of taste. Ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming.
✏️ Smart Substitutions for Your Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
While these ingredients are chosen for optimal flavor and texture, here are a few substitutions you can make:
- Oil: If you prefer, a good quality unsalted melted butter can be substituted for the oil. Keep in mind that butter may slightly alter the texture and add a distinct buttery flavor to the cupcake base. Ensure it’s cooled before mixing to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Sour Cream: Plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt can be used as a direct substitute for sour cream. Both offer similar acidity and moisture-retaining properties, which are crucial for the cupcake’s tender crumb. Greek yogurt will make the batter slightly thicker due to its higher protein content.
- Milk: For those with dietary restrictions or preferences, almond milk or oat milk can replace dairy milk. However, be aware that these alternatives might subtly change the flavor and potentially the richness of the cupcake, as they have different fat and protein compositions.
- Dulce de Leche: If dulce de leche is hard to find, a thick, high-quality jarred caramel sauce can be used as a substitute. Ensure it’s thick enough to hold its shape when piped into the cupcake.
🆒 Creative Variations to Elevate Your Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, feel free to get creative with these delicious variations:
- Toffee Crunch: For an irresistible crunch and an extra layer of caramel flavor, sprinkle crushed toffee bits or chopped Heath Bar candy over the frosted cupcakes. The buttery, crunchy texture perfectly complements the soft cupcake and creamy frosting.
- Nutty Delight: Add finely chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds to the top of the frosted cupcakes, or even fold a small amount into the cupcake batter for a delicious textural contrast. Toasted nuts will offer a deeper, more aromatic flavor.
- Salted Caramel Sensation: Transform these into a salted caramel chocolate dream by sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt or crystal salt over the dulce de leche drizzle. The salt enhances the caramel’s sweetness and balances the richness of the chocolate, creating a sophisticated and addictive flavor profile.
- Spiced Caramel: Infuse your dulce de leche with a hint of cinnamon or a touch of cardamom for a warm, aromatic twist that perfectly complements the chocolate.
🧑🍳 Easy Step-by-Step Instructions for Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
Follow these simple steps to create your own batch of gourmet chocolate dulce de leche filled cupcakes!
Step 1: Prepare the Cupcake Batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, oil, and sour cream. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for a smoother, more homogenous batter.
Step 2: Mix Until Smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat all the cupcake ingredients together on medium speed for precisely **1 minute**. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cupcakes. Mix just until the ingredients are well combined and the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Fill Cupcake Liners. Line two standard muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, evenly distribute the chocolate batter among the liners, filling each one about two-thirds full. This ensures uniform baking and prevents overflow.
Step 4: Bake and Cool. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Once baked, remove the tins from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the tins for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial before filling and frosting.
Step 5: Fill with Dulce de Leche. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, it’s time for the delicious filling! Using a cupcake filling tip (such as a Wilton 230 frosting tip) and a piping bag, carefully insert the tip into the center of each chocolate cupcake and pipe about 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche caramel inside. If you don’t have a filling tip, you can use a small knife to create a cone-shaped hole, spoon in the dulce de leche, and then replace the removed cake piece.
Step 6: Prepare and Pipe the Frosting. For the decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting, first cream together the softened cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Then, add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix on low speed until just combined, then increase to medium-high and beat until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and well aerated. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite star tip (a Wilton 2D closed star tip works beautifully for a classic swirl) and generously pipe it onto each filled cupcake.
Step 7: Admire (or Deviate!). At this stage, your chocolate cupcakes are already magnificent and ready to be enjoyed. You could stop here and savor their rich flavors. But why stop when you can elevate them even further?
Step 8: Go Gourmet with Drizzle and Toppings! Live your best “extra” life and transform these into truly gourmet-style treats! Drizzle an additional generous amount of dulce de leche over the frosted cupcakes. For an optional flourish, top them with chocolate sprinkles, a sprinkle of sea salt, or crushed Heath candy bar for added texture and visual appeal. Now, they’re truly show-stoppers!
📌 Top Tips for Perfect Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
Achieving bakery-quality cupcakes at home is easier than you think with these expert tips:
- For Even Scooping: A cookie scoop is your best friend for portioning cupcake batter! It not only ensures that each cupcake is consistently sized, leading to even baking, but it also makes the process much cleaner and less messy than using a spoon. Aim for about two-thirds full in each liner.
- Cool Completely: Patience is key! Make absolutely certain that your cupcakes have cooled down to room temperature before you attempt to fill or frost them. If the cupcakes are even slightly warm, the dulce de leche filling can become too runny, and the cream cheese frosting will melt, leading to a messy and disappointing result.
- The Best Filling Method: The most professional and efficient way to fill cupcakes is by using a piping bagfitted with a dedicated filling tip (like a Wilton 230). This tip is designed to create a hole and inject the filling seamlessly into the center of the cupcake, ensuring a neat and generous caramel surprise in every bite.
- No Piping Bag? No Problem! If you don’t own a piping bag, you can still achieve a filled cupcake! Use a sturdy zip-top bag with one corner snipped off to create a small opening. Before piping, you’ll need to create a hole in the center of each cupcake using a small knife or a cupcake corer. Gently press the caramel into these pre-made holes.
- Enhance with Sea Salt: A delicate sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the finished, frosted, and drizzled cupcakes can elevate the flavor profile immensely. The salt acts as a counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel, creating a sophisticated and irresistible salted caramel chocolate combo that tastes truly gourmet.
- Room Temperature Ingredients for Frosting: Ensure your cream cheese and butter are at proper room temperature for the frosting. This allows them to cream together smoothly and incorporate air, resulting in a light, fluffy, and lump-free buttercream. Cold ingredients will yield a lumpy frosting that is difficult to spread or pipe.
These chocolate dulce de leche cupcakes are more than just a dessert; they are a celebration of flavor and texture. With their incredibly moist crumb, rich caramel filling, and decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting, they are guaranteed to be a show-stopping treat that is much beloved and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
Absolutely! This recipe can easily be adapted for mini chocolate cupcakes. When baked in a 24-cup mini muffin tin, they would need to bake at the same temperature, 350°F (175°C), but for a shorter duration, typically around 10-12 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as mini cupcakes bake much faster, and always perform the toothpick test for doneness.
Yes, you can! To freeze these delightful cupcakes effectively, prepare the cupcakes and fill them with dulce de leche as directed, but **do NOT frost them**. Freeze the unfrosted, filled cupcakes and the prepared frosting separately in airtight freezer-safe containers. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw the cupcakes and frosting overnight in the refrigerator, then frost the cupcakes just before serving for the best possible taste and texture.
Several key ingredients contribute to the incredible moistness of these cupcakes:
• Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix: This is a game-changer! The pudding mix contains starches that help to trap and retain moisture, resulting in a cake that is exceptionally moist, tender, and flavorful, and stays fresh longer.
• Milk (instead of water): Using milk adds richness and depth of flavor that water simply cannot provide. The fat and proteins in milk contribute to a softer, more luxurious crumb.
• Sour Cream: Beyond adding moisture, sour cream introduces a touch of acidity to the batter. This acidity can react with the leavening agents, enhancing the lift and tenderness of the cupcakes, making them wonderfully fluffy and moist.
Not these! The main reasons filled cupcakes might get soggy are if the filling is too liquidy or if the cupcakes are filled while still warm. Our recipe uses a thick dulce de leche, and it’s imperative that the cupcakes are completely cooled before filling. As long as you follow these guidelines, ensuring proper cooling and a thick filling, your cupcakes should remain perfectly moist and not soggy.
Any filled cupcake, especially those topped with a cream cheese buttercream frosting, should be refrigerated. When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these chocolate dulce de leche cupcakes will maintain their freshness and deliciousness for 3-5 days. Always bring them to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.
🍫 More Irresistible Chocolate Dessert Recipes to Try
If you loved these chocolate caramel masterpieces, you’ll surely enjoy exploring other unique chocolate dessert recipes from our collection:
- Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies
- Chocolate Gooey Chex Mix
- Biscoff Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Sourdough Discard Brownies
Did you try this irresistible Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcakes recipe? We’d love to hear from you! Make sure to leave a ⭐️ star rating and a comment below the recipe card. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us and helpful to other readers who are looking for their next favorite dessert.
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📝 Printable Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes Recipe
Chocolate Caramel Filled Cupcakes
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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1 piping bag
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1 filling tip
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 box Devils Food chocolate cake mix 15.25 oz
- 1 box chocolate pudding mix 3.9 oz
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
- 6 oz cream cheese cold
- 1 ½ cups butter 3 cubes, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
Filling:
- 20 oz Dulce de Leche or thick caramel. I make two 14 oz cans worth and use one for filling.
Instructions
For the Cake:
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare two standard muffin tins by lining them with 24 cupcake liners. This recipe makes a generous batch, perfect for sharing or enjoying throughout the week.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, oil, and sour cream. Using an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients together on medium speed for precisely 1 minute. It’s important not to overmix the batter, as this can develop the gluten and result in tougher, lumpy cupcakes instead of the desired soft and tender texture.
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Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each one approximately two-thirds full. This allows room for the cupcakes to rise without spilling over. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, indicating they are fully baked. Once done, transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely. This is a critical step before moving on to filling and frosting to prevent melting.
For Frosting:
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In a clean mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until the mixture is light, smooth, and fluffy. This usually takes about 2 minutes, ensuring no lumps remain and the ingredients are well incorporated.
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Next, add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder to the creamed mixture. Start mixing on low speed to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar and cocoa, then gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Beat well until the frosting is completely smooth, creamy, and has reached your desired consistency for piping.
Assemble:
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Once the cupcakes are thoroughly cooled, it’s time to add the luscious filling! Fill each cupcake with approximately 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche or thick caramel. For a professional finish, we recommend using a Wilton 230 frosting tip with a piping bag to inject the caramel directly into the center of each cupcake. If you don’t have a specialized tip, you can core out a small amount of cake from the center before spooning in the caramel.
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Generously frost the filled cupcakes with the prepared chocolate cream cheese frosting. For a beautiful decorative swirl, we typically use a Wilton 1M or 2D closed star frosting tip. Pipe the frosting starting from the outside edge and working your way inwards, or create a lovely domed swirl.
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To complete your gourmet creation, drizzle additional Dulce de Leche decoratively over the tops of the frosted cupcakes. For an extra special touch and satisfying crunch, sprinkle some crushed toffee bits on top. These final touches not only add to the visual appeal but also enhance the layers of flavor and texture, making each cupcake truly unforgettable.