Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake tin with paper cupcake liners. You'll need 12.
While the oven is preheating, cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl or stand mixer until smooth.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed sugar and beat again until the eggs are fully incorporated.
Whisk in the caramel and milk until the cupcake batter is smooth and runny.
Whisk in the flour and baking powder until no dry clumps of flour remain in the cupcake batter.
Fill each of the cupcake liners up all the way with batter.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the center bounces back when you touch them. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool while you prepare the chocolate frosting.
In a medium sized bowl, use a hand mixer to mix together the butter and instant coffee. Add the powdered sugar and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Use a piping bag and a large decorating tip (Wilton 1M or 2D) to pipe swirls of frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes.
Top the cupcakes with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a pinch of coconut flakes and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze any leftovers for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
You can store these cupcakes on the counter or in the fridge for up to five days. While it doesn’t matter which option you choose, I think they are better stored cold.
You can use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate in the frosting.
The instant coffee helps to amplify the flavor of the chocolate in the frosting. If you are not a fan of coffee or do not like a strong chocolate flavor, you can omit this ingredient.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 cupcakes, with 1 serving being 1 cupcake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**