These cupcakes – where do I even begin? Rich chocolate cake, filled with caramel, then topped with a luscious caramel Swiss meringue buttercream? I made these for a 20th Anniversary event of this little upscale second-hand boutique that my girlfriend works for. The same friend that is pretty much my biggest cupcake fan (Hi Jamie!). I wanted to do something a little fancier and showier – and these cupcakes definitely fit the bill.

I was kind of pressed for time, so I just used my standard caramel sauce for the filling, and it turned out great. By the end of the day, the caramel had pretty much seeped into the cake and wasn’t so much of a “filling” per-say, but you tasted it and knew it was there. I loved the frosting too, Swiss meringues are so fun to work with. And, if it looks like it’s deflated and turned to a curdled mess – don’t fret! Shawnda has some great tips here on how to bring it back to it’s former fluffy glory.

If you’re looking for a fun baking project for the weekend, and maybe are a little burnt out on pumpkin already (what the what?) add these guys to your “to-do” list. You won’t regret it! Just make sure you have friends to share them with, as you could eat every one of them single-handily!