Snickers Cupcakes
These decadent Snickers cupcakes feature a moist chocolate base, a gooey caramel and peanut center, and a beautiful swirl of chocolate and caramel frosting.
- Sour cream's acidity softens gluten for a tender crumb while its fat content keeps the cake moist for days.
- Hot coffee blooms the cocoa powder, releasing oil-soluble flavor compounds for a deeper chocolate profile.
- A pinch of Diamond Crystal kosher salt cuts through the cloying sweetness of the caramel.
I still remember the exact sound of twelve chocolate cupcakes hitting my kitchen floor on my brother's twenty-first birthday.
I stood there with my hands pressed against my cheeks, staring at a crime scene of sticky caramel pooling on the linoleum. Salted peanuts rolled under the refrigerator like tiny wooden beads.
Most homemade candy-bar cupcakes are a massive disappointment because the cake dries out under the weight of the heavy toppings, and the caramel filling simply sinks to the bottom of the liner to burn. If you love baking decadent chocolate treats, you might also want to try my S'mores Chocolate Cupcakes for your next party.
The fix is surprisingly simple.
By swapping some butter for oil and adding sour cream, we create a robust protein matrix that suspends the caramel center perfectly.
We are going to swirl rich chocolate buttercream and salted caramel frosting together, creating a gorgeous two-tone look that requires absolutely no professional decorating skills. This combination of chocolate and caramel is a classic, much like my Gooey Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake which uses a similar flavor profile.
Snickers Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine table salt)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot coffee or boiling water
- 1/2 cup thick caramel sauce
- 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (for chocolate frosting)
- 3 tbsp caramel sauce (for caramel frosting)
- 2-3 tbsp heavy cream
- 3 Snickers bars, chopped (for garnish)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with high-quality paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until completely combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and sour cream until smooth, then slowly pour into the dry ingredients while mixing.
- Carefully stir in the hot coffee or boiling water; the batter will be very thin, but this is exactly what we want for a moist crumb.
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before using a cupcake corer or a small knife to cut a hole in the center of each.
- Fill each cavity with a teaspoon of chopped peanuts, spoon the thick caramel sauce over them, and press the cake tops back on with your thumbs.
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, then divide the mixture in half to make the chocolate and caramel frostings separately.
- Fit a piping bag with a star tip, fill one side with chocolate frosting and the other with caramel frosting, then pipe swirls onto the cupcakes and top with chopped Snickers.
Notes
- Salt Conversion: Always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for baking. If you only have standard table salt, cut the measurement in half (use 1/2 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon) to prevent an overly salty batter.
- The Science of Coffee: Adding hot coffee doesn't make the cupcakes taste like espresso. Instead, the heat blooms the cocoa powder, dissolving the starch particles and releasing oil-soluble flavor compounds for a deeper chocolate profile.
- Workflow Warning: Do not overfill the cupcake liners past the two-thirds mark. If you do, the batter will spill over the edges, creating a flat, crispy rim that makes coring and frosting incredibly frustrating.
- Storage Behavior: These cupcakes actually taste better on day two because the caramel slowly infuses into the surrounding cake crumb. However, store them in an airtight container at room temperature; the refrigerator will dry out the crumb matrix.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these showstoppers at room temperature to keep the caramel core beautifully gooey and soft.
- Serve alongside a cold glass of whole milk to balance the rich chocolate.
- Drizzle extra Homemade Chocolate Ganache over the piped frosting right before serving.
- Dust with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt to make the caramel pop.
- Pair with a hot espresso or dark roast coffee for an elegant afternoon treat.
- Place on a rustic wooden platter surrounded by whole peanuts for a beautiful party display.
Storage and Reheating
Keep these beauties at room temperature.
If you put them in the fridge, the butter in the frosting will seize up and turn into a hard, waxy block. The cake crumb will also lose its moisture rapidly in the cold, dry air of a refrigerator. Instead, seal them in a deep, airtight container on your counter for up to three days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the unfrosted, cored cupcakes for up to two months. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer bag.
Thaw them on the counter before frosting.
Ingredient Substitutes
If you need to swap things out, here are the tested alternatives that won't ruin your bake.
- Sour Cream: You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in an exact 1:1 swap if you don't have sour cream on hand.
- Vegetable Oil: Canola oil or melted coconut oil will work perfectly without changing the flavor profile.
- Hot Coffee: Boiling water works just fine if you want to avoid caffeine entirely.
- Peanuts: Toasted pecans or walnuts make a delicious alternative if you have a peanut allergy but can eat other tree nuts.
These cupcakes are always the first to disappear at any gathering I bring them to. If you have leftover chocolate chips from making the frosting, try baking these Chocolate Filled Cookies next weekend!
Susan Rosie
I've spent over 12 years perfecting recipes so you can cook with confidence. Every dish on Storied Skillet is tested multiple times – because your dinner matters. I believe in simple ingredients, clear instructions, and big flavors.
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