Samoa Cupcakes

It's Girl Scout Cookie time again. IMO, there is nothing better than a Samoa cookie. And being in the cupcake mode, I've decided to pay homage to those classic flavors of coconut, chocolate and caramel in this cupcake.

Samoa Cupcake

Chocolate Cupcakes yield 15-18 cupcakes
1 stick butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
2/3 c water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat together. Add sour cream, vanilla, baking powder and soda, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed til totally mixed. Add 3/4 of the flour and mix well. Add ALL the water and mix. Add the last 3/4 c of the flour and mix well. Using a one ounce ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the liners. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25, or until done. When they come out of the oven, using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a hole in the center of each cupcake. Let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Filling

1/2 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 T milk

In a 2 qt sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted completely, add the brown sugar and salt, stirring continually. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring to make sure it does not burn. Once it's thickened and the sugar is melted completely, add the milk and cook for another 5 minutes. Let cool before filling the cupcakes.


Frosting

6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla

Using a hand or stand mixer, Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well.

Topping:

Place 3/4 c flake coconut onto a sheet tray and toast until golden brown in a 400 degree oven.

Assembly

Spoon caramel into a piping bag that is fitting with a filling tip. Fill each cupcake with caramel. Pipe extra caramel onto the top of the cupcakes. Using a 1 MM star tip, pipe chocolate frosting onto the filled cupcakes. Top with toasted coconut.