Samoa Cupcakes – All of the flavors of the classic Girl Scout cookie in a cupcake! Chocolate cupcakes topped with a caramel buttercream frosting and toasted coconut.
Samoa Cupcakes
I love samoas cookies! Year after year, I put my order in to a local girl scout and get a few boxes of samoas. When I run out of the cookies, I get my fix by baking other desserts with those same flavors such as my samoa bars or these cupcakes. The combination of chocolate, caramel, and toasted coconut is just so addicting!
Common Questions About Making Samoa Cupcakes
What are samoa cupcakes?
Samoa cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes topped with a caramel buttercream frosting and toasted coconut.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
How long do these cupcakes last?
These cupcakes last up to three days when stored in a refrigerated airtight container.
What kind of caramel can I use in the frosting?
Either store-bought in a jar or homemade! Some of my favorite homemade versions include –
How can I make the perfect cupcakes?
- Follow the recipe – While I totally understand dietary restrictions, if you plan on making changes to the ingredients, I cannot guarantee the recipe will work. If you are facing this problem, I will gently suggest that you may want to consider finding a cupcake recipe on a site that specifically develops for the diet you are on such as a keto baking website or vegan baking website. Too many times have I seen recipes for wrong for people because they started to adjust the recipe too much.
- Don’t over-mix the cupcakes – If you want to keep cupcakes light and airy, avoiding over-mixing is key. Mix until just barely combined.
- Let the cupcakes completely cool before frosting – This is a classic mistake that people constantly make (including me). Your cupcakes are done baking, you are ready to sit down and eat one so you touch the cupcake and say “this is most definitely cool” even though it’s only been out of the oven for like, 5 minutes. Wrong. Your frosting will just slide off the cupcake and it’ll be really sad. To be safe, I’d say give them 1-2 hours before frosting.
- Don’t over fill the cupcake liners – If you overfill the cupcake liners, you will definitely have some overflow which isn’t pretty and elegant. Stick to filling each liner about 3/4 full.
- Spin the cupcake tin halfway through cooking – An oven’s heat is generally not terribly even so a simple way to make sure all of the cupcakes cook all the way through is to spin the pan about 1/2 way through baking 180 degrees.
Ingredient Notes –
- Milk helps keep the cupcakes moist so they don’t dry out. Buttermilk is also delicious in this recipe!
- Vegetable oil adds richness to the cupcakes.
- Eggs act as a binder to hold the batter together so it isn’t too crumbly.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor of the cocoa and caramel.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cupcakes.
- Flour gives the cupcakes structure so they aren’t too wet. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method!
- Cocoa powder makes the cupcakes chocolatey! Make sure to use unsweetened baking cocoa.
- Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise so they stay light and fluffy.
- Butter is the base of our caramel buttercream. Make sure it is fully softened so it incorporates smoothly with the powdered sugar.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the buttercream and gives it structure. Feel free to add a bit more or a bit less to get your desired consistency.
- Make sure to use a good quality caramel sauce and one that isn’t too runny!
- To make toasted coconut, bake plain flake coconut for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until it is golden brown. Allow it to cool before using.
Looking for more cupcake recipes? Check these out!
Yield: 12 Cupcakes
Samoa Cupcakes
Samoa Cupcakes - All of the flavors of the classic Girl Scout cookie in a cupcake! Chocolate cupcakes topped with a caramel buttercream frosting and toasted coconut.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
18 minutes
Total Time
38 minutes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce
- 1/3 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix just until no large lumps of flour remain. You don't want to overmix.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each one with about 1/4 cup of batter.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
For the Caramel Buttercream
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Next, add the caramel sauce and mix until the buttercream becomes smooth - about 30 seconds. Turn the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy - another 30-45 seconds.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip and frost the cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
- Enjoy immediately or store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
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