Peanut Butter and Coconut Caramel Filled Vanilla Cupcakes With a Whipped Chocolate Frosting

I have a new obsession with stuffing things into cupcakes. If you can't get enough deliciousness into the cupcake and frosting... just fill it with more! Plus it's like a little surprise that no one but you knows about! Cupcakes have become even more exciting for me than I would have ever dreamed. 

These moist, extremely vanilla-y vanilla cupcakes are stuffed with a mixture of peanut butter and homemade coconut caramel sauce and topped with a fluffy chocolate frosting.

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vegan caramel syrup (I used my coconut caramel recipe and changed the coconut cream from 2 1/4 cups to 3 cups)

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegan shortening 
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup soy milk (more or less depending on desired consistency)

Cupcake Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line or grease 12 cupcake tins
3. In a stand mixer, put all of the dry cupcake ingredients into mixing bowl. Allow to mix on the slowest speed while preparing wet ingredients
4. In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients.
5. While still on the slowest speed, add wet ingredient mixture into dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined while being careful not to overmix.
6. Split batter between the prepared 12 cupcake tins.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until top of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling.

Filling Preparation:

1. In stand mixer, put peanut butter and caramel sauce into mixing bowl.
2. mix on lowest speed until completely combined.
3. Turn mixer on high speed for 3 minutes.
4. Put into refrigerator until needed.

Frosting Preparation:

1. In stand mixer, beat shortening for 3 minutes on a medium speed to smooth it out. Turn to lowest speed.
2. While still beating, add the vanilla extract.
3. While still on lowest speed, add cocoa powder.
4. Add about an 1/8 cup of the soymilk.
5. Slowly add powdered sugar. (Make sure you don't add it too fast, or you're going to make a mess!)
6. Add remaining soymilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you've reached your desired consistency. (Feel free to add more or less!) When you've finished adding the soymilk, turn the mixer to a high speed and beat for 5 minutes to fluff the frosting.

Assembly:

1. Core cupcakes after they have cooled completely. Save the centers!
2. Use a small spoon to fill cupcakes. (Put a small amount of filling on the spoon, using your finger or another spoon, stuff the filling into the cupcake.
3. Put centers back into cupcakes to keep the filling in.
4. Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or knife!

Enjoy!!