Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

I just got back from Hawaii a couple days ago, it was a present from my momma for my 25th Birthday and it was so wonderful! Hawaii is definitely my happy place. I love it more than any other place I've been. One of our favorite foods to eat in Hawaii (and bring home with us) is the Hawaiian Host Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts. Yumm! I decided I would try and hold onto the Aloha spirit as long as possible and turn it into a cupcake! 

I used heavy cream and milk because we somehow accidentally bought fat free milk last time we were at the store and it isn't creamy enough for cupcakes so I used a little of both and it worked out perfect!  

I didn't sift my flour and in order to ensure the right amount is measured I always use a spoon or another measuring cup to fill the measuring cup I need and a knife to take off the extra. I don't scoop it out because I don't want to pack it and end up with too much. 

I just did a rough chop on the macadamia nuts to ensure no one would bite into a full nut, even though they are super soft and it would probably be fine. 

Since the batter is so runny after adding the boiling water I decided to pour it into the cups first and then add the nuts after the batter was already in the cups. 

I topped them with a caramel buttercream this is so good and so easy! Making caramel has always been a daunting task to me and so I've always avoided it... but I decided to give it a try and it was easy and came out great! 

I had a lot of batter so I decided to also do some mini's since they are always so cute! 

  

I sprinkled finely chopped nuts on top of the big cupcakes, since macadamia nuts are so soft they were easy to chop up into small fine pieces. 

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Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients 

Cupcakes:

2 cups sugar 

1¾ cups all-purpose flour- sifted

¾ cup Hershey's cocoa

1½ tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup boiling water

2-3 cups roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar


½ cup heavy cream


4 tbsp. unsalted butter


1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups butter- softened

6 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Cupcakes:

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners


2.    In the bowl of your stand mixer stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.    Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium for 2 minutes.

4.    Stir in boiling water until batter is mixed.

5.    Divide batter between cupcake pans, filling them about 2/3 full.

6.    Divide macadamia nuts between cupcakes and stir into batter.

7.    Place pans in oven and immediately turn oven down to 325º. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting:

1.    In a saucepan add brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter. Heat to a boil stirring occasionally. Boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.

2.    Take off the heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool to room temperature and then whisk with a wire whisk until smooth.

3.    In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy.

4.    Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar, once incorporated turn to medium and mix well.

5.    Add vanilla extract and mix.

6.    Turn down to low and mix in caramel until well incorporated.

7.    Chop up macadamia nuts and sprinkle on top of frosted cupcakes. 

Thanks for coming, stay awhile, and return often! xoxo