Caramel Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream (optional)

For the cupcakes:

• 3/4 c. salted butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 2/3 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1/2 c. chopped mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:

• 6 tbsp. salted butter
• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. chopped mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. To make the caramel: In a bowl stir together the sugar, salt, and water. Add this mixture to a large metal pot and make sure not to stir the sugar once it's in the pot to prevent it from crystallizing. Set the temperature to medium and wait for it to caramelize. When I was doing this I had to move the pot around on the burner to make sure that the sugar caramelized evenly. Leave the sugar on the stove until it reaches ~350℉ as measured by a candy thermometer. The sugar should go the color of a copper penny. If the sugar burns toss it out and try again (it'll smell like burnt hair.)
2. As soon as the sugar hits 350℉ pour in the heavy cream while stirring rapidly with a wooden spoon. The caramel will bubble up so you might need to use oven mitts while you're doing this. Once the sugar and cream combine, pour in the vanilla and continue cooking the caramel until it reaches 240℉. Take the caramel off the heat and set inside a water bath. Stir the caramel until it cools completely. Set aside. 
3. Once cold, take the caramel out of the fridge and take around 1/4 c. of it an put it in a separate bowl. Beat on a medium speed with an electric mixer. If you want it to be a little bit fluffier you can beat two tablespoons of heavy cream into the caramel.
4. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a twelve hole muffin pan with cupcake liners. 
5. To make the cupcakes: cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites one at a time and then stir in the vanilla. 
6. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients but do not stir yet. Add in the sour cream and milk and then stir all the ingredients together until just combined.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips and then split the batter between the twelve cupcake liners. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when touched. Cool completely on a wire rack.
8. To make the frosting cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time and then mix in the vanilla, heavy cream, and chopped chocolate chips.
9. To assemble the cupcakes start by coring all of the cupcakes with a cupcake corer. Fill each cupcake with the whipped caramel filling and then frost each cupcake with the chocolate chip frosting. Drizzle on the extra caramel that you separated out earlier. Eat.