salted caramel cupcakes

 I made these the other week-oh my! they were soo delish. That frosting is amazing, and then you add in caramel sauce? yup. It's all over. mmmm....

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
from Our Best Bites

CUPCAKES:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar (dark brown sugar is REALLY important!)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. milk

TO GO ON TOP:
Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting
About 1/2 c. caramel sauce
12 Werther's soft caramels
Dipping chocolate (just a wee bit), made with bittersweet or dark chocolate; I used 4 oz. of chocolate with 1 tsp. canola oil and had plenty leftover
Kosher or sea salt

I didn't do the chocolate dipped caramels on top cause I forgot to buy them, but it was still delicious.

Preheat oven to 350. Using 18 cupcake liners, line muffin tins. I used paper liners, but I think foil would be a better choice.

In another bowl (preferably the bowl of an electric mixer), combine sugars and butter together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 1 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Prepare dipping chocolate. Dip the ugly side of the caramel into the chocolate, about halfway down the caramel. Place chocolate-side-up on a plate and then allow to harden. 
Prepare Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting. Very gently mix the caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup into the frosting--you want there to be swirls of caramel visible. Add a little more if you want--this is an art, not science here!After you've frosted the cupcakes, top each cupcake with a chocolate-dipped caramel and then sprinkle with a VERY scant sprinkling of Kosher or sea salt--it's just a little garnish and a really enhances the flavors of the cupcake.