Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line your cupcake tins with liners.
2. In a large bowl, add in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Add in the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer, beat on low until the batter is smooth.
4. Once smooth, stir in the hot coffee with a spatula.
5. Scoop the batter into 24 cupcake liners.
6. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until done. Place a toothpick in the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean, you’re ready to pull those babies out of the oven.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel

1. Click the link above for the recipe.

Buttercream

1. In a double boiler, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. This is when the egg whites reach about 115 degrees.
2. Pour into a stand mixer bowl and whip with a whisk attachment on high. The meringue needs to come to stiff peaks. If you turn the whisk upside down and the peak stands straight up, you’ve reached the stiff peak stage.
3. Add in the sifted powdered sugar and mix until combined.
4. Add all at once the shortening and butter. Beat until it all comes together. It will thicken up at this point. If the mixture looks like it curdled, keep mixing. It will come back together.
5. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. The frosting should be thick and creamy.
6. Unwrap the caramels and put in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
7. Add in the heavy cream and place in the microwave. Microwave in 30-seconds. Stir after each time. Microwave until the caramel is smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
8. Fold the caramel into the buttercream.

Assemble

1. Cut a hole into the centers of the cupcakes. Don’t go to the bottom of the cupcake. Spoon in the caramel peanut mix. You can also add the caramel into a sandwich bag and pipe it into the holes that way.
2. Add the caramel buttercream into a piping bag with a 1M piping tip or a 6B piping tip.
3. Pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes.
4. Drizzle chocolate syrup on the top of each cupcake.
5. Add mini Snickers to the top of each cupcake.
6. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
7. Store in an airtight container.