Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

These are a creation of mine, culled from three separate recipes for the cake, frosting, and caramel. A small amount of the caramel goes in the batter for the cake part of each cupcake, with another dollop on top of the cupcake after they are frosted. The caramel blends into the cake batter itself, but it does add to the taste.

Caramel
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

-bring first three ingredients to a boil, then bring to simmer
-simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often
-remove from heat
-stir in vanilla

Cake
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot coffee
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

-melt the unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler, over simmering water
(fyi, if you don't have a real double broiler, put a small amount of water in a pot and sit a metal bowl on top, not touching the water)
-sift the dry ingredients
-whisk the coffee, sour cream, and vegetable oil
-add the eggs to the other wet ingredients, continue to whisk
-add the chocolate to the other wet ingredients, continue to whisk
-add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring

Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

-place softened butter in a large bowl
-gradually add sugar by sifting a small amount over the butter, stirring
-beat hard with an electric mixer until icing is pale and fluffy
-you can add food coloring, milk, or fruit juice for variety :)

Cupcakes
-Preheat oven to 350
-Fill each cup with batter to almost 2/3 full
-Add small amount of caramel (@ 1/2 tsp?) to each cup
-Add small amount of batter to each cup
-Bake 20 to 25 minutes
-Allow to cool, then frost
-Add a dollop of caramel to each cupcake

Voila!