Chocolate, caramel and coconut… these Samoa Cupcakes have all of my favorite flavors in one amazing cupcake!
Inspired by Girl Scout Samoa cookies, these cupcakes start with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, then are topped with salted caramel frosting, toasted coconut and a finishing drizzle of caramel.
I shared these cupcakes a few families at (my girls) school and I’m pretty sure I’ve sealed our friendship for life! =)
These Samoa Cupcakes start with my favorite Chocolate Cupcake Recipe <– click for recipe
Top the cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting (recipe below), and then finish with toasted coconut.
To toast the coconut, spread about 1 and 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350* oven for 3-8 minutes. Check after 3 minutes and stir, then check (and stir if needed) about every minute after. The coconut can burn very quickly, watch it closely!
Garnish the finished cupcakes with a drizzle of salted caramel. I used Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Sauce (labeled Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce) in the recipe and for the drizzle and it’s my favorite store bought caramel ever! Feel free to make your own caramel sauce (I have a delicious recipe in my book), or choose a high quality brand of your choice. It’s important to chose a salted caramel sauce (or add a bit of good quality sea salt), or the recipe will be overpoweringly sweet.
These Samoa Cupcakes are simply amazing! My husband has already requested I make another batch of these for him to share at work. I’ll be happy to fulfill that request… and I’ll be sure to keep one (or two) aside for myself! =)
Samoa Cupcakes Recipe
Samoa Cupcakes
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 4 oz cream cheese 1/2 block
- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce good quality
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa best quality
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract best quality available
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Allow butter to set out at room temperature about 15 minutes (you can gather your other ingredients in the mean time).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
- Add cream cheese and continue to beat until fully smooth and well incorporated.
- While slowly mixing, pour in caramel sauce (should not be warm).
- Add vanilla.
- Continue slowly mixing and add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, allowing the sugar to blend a bit before adding each additional cup.
- Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then blend the frosting an additional 30 seconds or so. The frosting should be fluffy, and all ingredients fully incorporated.
- Frost cupcakes or cake.
Cupcakes
- Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
- Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
- Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
- Bake cupcakes for approximately 18-22 minutes.
- Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Love caramel?
Here are a few more recipes for caramel lovers…
I just made them and they are sooooo delicious!!!! You are right the chocolate cake is VERY good. I think next time I will also add coconut to the batter. I also had the issue with the icing. I added more than 4 cups of powder sugar and it is still too soft and sliding.
I just made these cupcakes for a baby shower. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. Can you say YUM!!!? I also made them mini cupcakes. Just baked them for 12 minutes. And the frosting is delish too!
Glory , you never fail to impress me. Every recipe of yours I make is always greeted with wonderful comments…the piña colada cake is a particular favourite at the dental office where I work. I am defiantly going to be making these in the next few days. Thank you so much for all your sharing and caring. Xox
These are de-LISH! I highly recommend making them. I subbed regular caramel sauce for salted since that’s what I had on hand. My only issue was that the frosting got a bit melty when left out (an issue I’ve never had before with your frostings)….maybe my caramel sauce had a higher liquid content? They piped great, but when I came back from running errands, they weren’t as fluffy and we’re starting to slide a bit. Oh well….they’ll still be devoured!!
hmm, yummy, best looking cupcake 🙂