Cupcakes Galore

I'm loving this list of the 50 Best Cupcake Recipes on the Internet! Yum! The pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, the snickerdoodle cupcakes, and the earl grey cupcakes with lemon buttercream sound especially tasty to me.

Speaking of fabulous cupcakes, I tested a yummy recipe I found in an old copy of Taste of Home this weekend. These moist chocolate cupcakes with creamy caramel frosting are amazing!

Texas Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Icing

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 to 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa, water, oil and butter to a boil. Gradually add to dry ingredients; mix well. Combine eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; gradually add to batter and mix well (batter will be very thin).
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles for in the center and the syrup turns amber. Remove from the heat; transfer to a small mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cupcakes. Yield: 2 dozen