Chocolate Snickers Cupcakes

This was an amazing recipe when you have leftover candy bars lying around, especially when they are Snickers! Chocolate cupcakes with caramel snickers filling and caramel icing! Recipe below. Follow me on this blog for more blog updates!

For the cupcakes: 

2/3 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup milk
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract

 For the Caramel Sauce:***
2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:
12 fun-size Snickers bars, chopped

For the Caramel Frosting:
3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar
8 fun-size Snickers bars, chopped

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the water and cocoa powder and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the milk; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then scrape the bowl and add the vanilla. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the batter and beat until just combined. Add half of the cocoa mixture, mix until combined, then repeat with the remaining flour and cocoa mixtures, scraping the bowl as needed. Place 2 tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean 
3. To make the filling: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the salt and brown sugar and heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar is totally dissolved. 
4. Stir in the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm, about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a paring knife or apple corer to cut out a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Remove the core and discard. 
5. To make the cupcake filling: In a medium bowl, combine the chopped Snickers and 1/4 cup of the cooled caramel sauce and mix to coat. Drop a spoonful of the filling mixture into each cupcake. Reserve three tablespoons of caramel sauce for drizzling over frosted cupcakes. 
6. To make the frosting: Transfer remaining caramel sauce to a bowl, and add the powdered sugar and beat until until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Adjust consistency with a little more milk or powdered sugar, if necessary. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward. Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with the three tablespoons of caramel sauce and garnish with chopped Snickers bars. 

***I used store bought caramel sauce with 2-3 tbsp of heavy cream and cream cheese. Mixed with 3-4 cups of powder sugar for the icing.