Caramel Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes

By MarieR

Ingredients

• Cool: 1 hour
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box devil’s food cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 24 cylinder-shaped caramel-filled chocolate candies, such as Rolo
• 1 recipe Brown-Butter Icing
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• Garnish: pecan halves

Details

Servings 24
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 35mins

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 350°. Fill 24 standard-size muffin tins with baking cups; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, then at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3.Evenly divide mixture among muffin cups. Press a candy into batter of each cupcake.
4.Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. (Be careful to avoid the caramel at the center.) Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
5.Place Brown-Butter Icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe icing onto cupcakes. Sprinkle icing with chopped pecans. Garnish with pecan halves, if desired.