These Toffee Crunch Cupcakes are a masterpiece of texture and flavor, combining a moist chocolate cake with a rich ganache, crunchy toffee bits, and a silky caramel frosting. They are an indulgent dessert that looks like it came straight from a high-end bakery but can be created right in your own kitchen.
With a hidden ring of chocolate ganache dipped in toffee and a cloud of fluffy cooked flour frosting in the center, every bite is a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and crunchy.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Deep chocolate cake meets buttery toffee and a creamy, not-too-sweet frosting infused with caramel sauce.
- Texture: The cupcakes are incredibly moist (thanks to the boiling water method), contrasting with the snap of the chocolate ganache shell, the crunch of toffee bits, and the light-as-air ermine-style frosting.
- Time: 1 hour active prep, plus cooling and chilling times.
- Difficulty: Advanced. This recipe involves making a cooked frosting base, a ganache, and a multi-step assembly process.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a few specialized tools. A stand mixer is highly recommended for the frosting to achieve the necessary fluffiness. You will also need a fine-mesh strainer for the milk mixture, a piping bag with a large round tip (Wilton 1A) for the ganache, and a decorative tip (Wilton 1M) for the frosting.
Ingredient Notes
- Boiling Water – This is the secret to the chocolate cupcakes. It blooms the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate flavor and ensuring the crumb is moist.
- Toffee Bits – You will need two packages. These are used to coat the ganache ring and garnish the top. Heath bits or similar brands work perfectly.
- Semisweet Chocolate – Chopped bars melt smoother than chips for the ganache.
- Heavy Cream – Essential for creating a rich, pipeable ganache.
- Frosting Base (Flour/Cornstarch/Milk) – This frosting is a variation of “Ermine” or boiled milk frosting. It is less sweet than American buttercream and has a texture similar to whipped cream, which pairs perfectly with the rich caramel.
- Salted Butter – The frosting recipe specifically calls for salted butter, which helps cut the sweetness of the caramel and sugar.
- Caramel Sauce – Use a thick, high-quality caramel sauce to fold into the frosting.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is standard, but you could use Dutch-process for a darker color.
- Toffee – If you can’t find toffee bits, you can buy whole toffee candy bars and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Ganache Chocolate – If you prefer a darker taste, bittersweet chocolate can be substituted for semisweet in the ganache.
How to Make Toffee Crunch Cupcakes
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; using a handheld electric mixer or an electric stand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. The batter will be on the thinner side. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. (This makes about 30 cupcakes, so bake in installments if needed). Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Cook the Frosting Base: In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk. This takes 5-10 minutes. It should bubble quite a bit at the end and thicken considerably.
- Cool the Frosting Base: Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature – this is extremely important! If you refrigerate it to speed this up, make sure to let it warm back up to room temperature before proceeding. It must be room temperature (not cold, not warm) for the butter to absorb properly.
- Whip the Frosting: Once the frosting base is completely cooled to room temperature, beat the mixture with the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the softened butter, one piece at a time, and beat until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for five minutes until light and fluffy. Fold in the caramel sauce. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff, about 1 hour.
- Make the Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream to a bare simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let the mixture sit, without stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Whisk to combine until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Whisk in the butter until melted and smooth. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and let the ganache chill until it is at piping consistency. Stir every 10 minutes to help it cool evenly. Do not let it harden too much; if it does, let it sit at room temperature until soft again.
- Pipe the Ganache Ring: Fill a piping bag with the ganache and using a large round circle tip (Wilton 1A), pipe a ring on the top of the cupcake around the perimeter, leaving an open circle in the center.
- Add Toffee Rim: Pour the toffee bits into a bowl. Lightly press the edges of the ganache ring into the toffee bits, pressing very gently to adhere the toffee to the ganache.
- Fill and Finish: Fill another pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (Wilton 1M) with the frosting. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake, filling the empty space inside the ganache ring. Top with an additional sprinkle of toffee, if desired.
- Set: Refrigerate and let sit at room temperature about an hour before serving to let the frosting soften to cool room temperature.
Pro Tip: Temperature is everything for the frosting. If the cooked milk base is even slightly warm, it will melt the butter and you will have a soupy mess. If it is too cold from the fridge, the butter will form lumps. Both the base and the butter must be the same room temperature for the emulsion to work magic.
Recipe Tips
- Straining is Key: Do not skip straining the milk/flour mixture before cooking. This ensures your final frosting is silky smooth without any flour lumps.
- Ganache Consistency: Watch your ganache closely while it chills. You want it firm enough to hold a ring shape but soft enough to pipe. Stirring frequently prevents the edges from hardening while the center stays liquid.
- Batch Baking: Since this makes 30 cupcakes, keep your batter covered while the first batch bakes.
FAQs
- Can I make the components ahead of time? Yes. You can bake the cupcakes and make the frosting base a day ahead. Just ensure the base comes back to room temperature before whipping with butter.
- Why did my frosting curdle? This usually happens if the base was too cold when the butter was added. Keep beating! Often, bringing the temperature up slightly (wrapping a warm towel around the bowl) and beating on high will bring it back together.
- Do these need to be refrigerated? Yes, because of the milk-based frosting and ganache, these should be stored in the refrigerator. Let them sit out for an hour before serving for the best texture.
Serving Suggestions
- Coffee: The strong coffee notes in the toffee and chocolate make this the ultimate companion for a fresh pot of coffee.
- Holiday Parties: The gold color of the toffee makes these look festive and impressive on a holiday dessert table.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Frosting Base: You can cook the flour/milk mixture the night before and keep it in the fridge. Pull it out several hours before you plan to whip the frosting so it loses its chill.
- Assembly: You can assemble these completely earlier in the day. Just store them in the fridge and remember to take them out an hour before eating so the frosting isn’t hard like butter.
Toffee Crunch Cupcakes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 Cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Toffee Crunch Cupcakes are a masterpiece of texture and flavor, combining a moist chocolate cake with a rich ganache, crunchy toffee bits, and a silky caramel frosting. They are an indulgent dessert that looks like it came straight from a high-end bakery but can be created right in your own kitchen. With a hidden ring of chocolate ganache dipped in toffee and a cloud of fluffy cooked flour frosting in the center, every bite is a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and crunchy.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups (424g) granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups (249g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (64g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Ganache & Toffee
- 12 ounces (340g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons (42g) butter
- 2 packages (8 ounces each / 454g total) toffee bits (like Heath bits)
Caramel Ermine Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (318g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (36g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (339g) salted butter, softened at room temperature (cut into 24 pieces)
- 1/3 cup thick caramel sauce
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tins with paper liners (recipe makes ~30). In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water by hand (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely.
Cook Frosting Base
In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Crucial Step: Strain this mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan to remove lumps. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it boils and thickens into a pudding-like consistency (5-10 minutes).
Cool Frosting Base
Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and let it cool to room temperature. It must not be cold or warm.
Make Ganache
Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the butter. Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes, until it reaches a thick, pipeable consistency (like toothpaste).
Whip Frosting
Once the flour base is room temp, beat it with vanilla on low for 30 seconds. Add the softened butter one piece at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Fold in the caramel sauce.
Assembly – Step 1 (The Ring)
Fit a piping bag with a large round tip (Wilton 1A). Pipe a ring of ganache around the top perimeter of each cupcake, leaving the center empty.
Assembly – Step 2 (The Crunch)
Pour toffee bits into a bowl. Gently invert the cupcake and press the ganache ring into the toffee so the bits stick to the chocolate.
Assembly – Step 3 (The Fill)
Fit a second piping bag with a star tip (Wilton 1M) and fill with the caramel frosting. Pipe a decorative swirl into the center of the ganache ring. Top with extra toffee bits if desired.
Notes
Temperature is Everything: For the frosting to work, the cooked milk base and the butter must be at the same room temperature. If the base is warm, it will melt the butter into soup. If it is cold, the butter will curdle.
The Boiling Water: Don’t skip the boiling water in the cake batter. It blooms the cocoa powder, releasing flavor and ensuring the cupcakes stay moist for days.
Ganache Texture: Watch the ganache while it chills. If it gets too hard, you won’t be able to pipe the ring. If it solidifies too much, microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking / Piping
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
Keywords: toffee crunch cupcakes, heath bar cupcakes, chocolate ganache cupcakes, ermine frosting recipe, cooked flour frosting, gourmet cupcake recipes, bakery style cupcakes
