A chocolate cupcake filled with a caramel condensed milk mixture to make them super moist! Then topped with a salted caramel frosting and Milky Way candy bars! These Milky Way Cupcakes are everything you love about the candy bar in a cupcake!
I feel like this recipe combines all the things I love into one seriously tasty bite. I think the title kind of said it all didn’t it?
Milk Way candy bars. Oh yea, I mean Milky Way candy bars. Come on, what’s not to love?
Chocolate. Helloooo, I said alllll the things I love. So you know chocolate had to be in there!
Cupcakes. I love me some cupcakes. Maybe I need to re-name my website. I heart cupcakes? Is that name taken?
But these just aren’t cupcakes. They are POKE cupcakes. Have you ever had a poke cake? Poke cakes are exactly as they sound. When the cake comes out of the oven, you literally poke it with a skewer or a fork, and make holes all over the top of the cake. Then pour over some deliciousness. Usually condensed milk. Sometimes caramel. Or I’m sure some bloggers have gotten seriously creative out there. This time, I made a poke cupcake instead and man oh man I’m glad I did.
These cupcakes start with my favorite chocolate cupcake base from Hershey’s Kitchens. These cupcakes come out perfect every time. I’m used this cupcake base to make candy cane cupcakes, peanut butter cup stuffed, cake batter frosted, mint Oreo stuffed, S’mores, and even a homemade Hostess version.
These cupcakes are super simple to make. You don’t even need your mixer for this recipe! Woo hoo, happy dance. Start with your dry ingredients and your sugar. Usually sugar is considered a wet ingredient, but this time you will add to your dry ingredient bowl- along with your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl, you will combine your wet ingredients- vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla. All you need here is a whisk! Rejoice! To that bowl you will add that dry mixture, and continue to whisk until combined. As always, be sure not to overmix. Now for the last ingredient- boiling water.
The boiling water will thin out of the batter quite a bit, but don’t worry that’s supposed to happen. All that water helps to make for a light and fluffy cupcake.
For these poke cupcakes, I used a combination of condensed milk and caramel together to use as my “poke” ingredient. Like a poke cake, poke cupcakes, they are seriously moist. Sorry I know some people hate that word. But if someone could let me know another word to use I’m all ears.
So when the cupcakes come out of the oven, place them on a cookie rack. And then with a fork or skewer, poke the tops of the cupcakes all over!
Once you have done that, you want to then fill those holes up with the condensed milk mixture. I used a combination of condensed milk and caramel topping.
You could use only condensed milk, or caramel topping if you choose instead of combining them both. I put this mixture in a pastry bag to pipe the mixture inside the holes.
A zip-loc bag with a corner snipped off would work as well. Or you could try using a measuring cup to carefully pour the mixture in the holes as well.
These cupcakes to make them like the Milky Way candy bar I topped them with a salted caramel frosting. The frosting starts with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting, then salted caramel sauce gets stirred in. You can make your own salted caramel sauce, or if you are feeling lazy (no judgement here!) you can use jarred caramel sauce.
Now let’s talk piping. I know some of you may be intimidated about using a piping bag. But really it’s not hard, and it is all about practice! You can also read this post on frosting cupcakes. If you still are saying no way Jose! Then be sure to use a angled spatula to make a pretty swirl of frosting on top. Avoid your butter knife- those edges on the knife will make a not so pretty cupcake. A thin metal spatula will help to make a smooth pretty top.
And of course no Milky Way cupcake would be complete without well, Milky Ways of course. I used the fun size candies (which I am pretty sure every aisle is definitely filled with all those fun size candy bars already) and cut them up into pieces. And for extra fun, maybe a little extra caramel sauce drizzled on top. Because, well why not of course?
Recipe Tips
- Before you start baking, get your cupcake pans ready with your cupcake liners. Never have your batter ready, and your pans not ready. Your pans should always be waiting for you.
- Pre-heat that oven! Then double check it. Most ovens do not run accurately. Invest in an oven thermometer to ensure your oven reads the correct temperature. If it doesn’t, then adjust accordingly.
- Use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to measure out each cupcake. You want each cupcake to be the same amount of batter, so they bake evenly.
- Bake on the middle rack. If you bake too high or too low, then you run the risk your cupcakes baking unevenly.
More Recipes To Try
Craving More? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along with me on Instagram for all the latest updates!
Milky Way Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (63 g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
For the “poke” part
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
For the frosting
- 5 cups (565 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 2 1/2 cups (5 sticks, 565 g) unsalted butter softened
- 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce plus additional for drizzling
- milk way candy bars chopped for garnishing
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside. (This batter will make 30 cupcakes, or more than 2 pans, so I set up two with liners, and bake the first two pans, and finish up with a third batch/pan with my leftover batter).
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the boiling water. Batter will be very thin.
- Divide batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling each well about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes bake, mix together the caramel and condensed milk for the "poke part. Set aside.
- When cupcakes are done baking, remove from the oven and immediately poke the tops of the cupcakes using a wooden skewer, fork, or toothpick. Pour into the holes the condensed milk/caramel mixture.
- While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting: In a stand mixer, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Cream until light and fluffy for 2-3 minutes. Add in the heavy cream, caramel, and vanilla. Mix until combined on low. Then on medium-high mix for 8 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Using a piping bag and tip, or an offset spatula, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Top with candy bars and additional caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
- Before you start baking, get your cupcake pans ready with your cupcake liners. Never have your batter ready, and your pans not ready. Your pans should always be waiting for you.
- Pre-heat that oven! Then double check it. Most ovens do not run accurately. Invest in an oven thermometer to ensure your oven reads the correct temperature. If it doesn’t, then adjust accordingly.
- Use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to measure out each cupcake. You want each cupcake to be the same amount of batter, so they bake evenly.
- Bake on the middle rack. If you bake too high or too low, then you run the risk your cupcakes baking unevenly.
The Golden Girl Diary says
These look so yummy! OH MY GOSH!!
Heather says
Thank you!!!
Irene says
The post is so great! Thanks for sharing:)
irenethayer.com
Heather says
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Andrea says
Looks delicious!
Heather says
Thanks Andrea!