Rolo Brownie Cupcakes
I might have gone a bit overboard with these cupcakes.
Originally they were simply going to be a basic chocolate sponge topped chocolate buttercream, some caramel and a Rolo. They evolved to become individual Rolo Brownies, with a caramel centre, topped with chocolate caramel swirled buttercream, drizzled with chocolate and finished with a Rolo.
They are almost, almost too much!
To be completely honest, they don’t need the buttercream, the brownies and their golden caramel centres are perfect as they are. The buttercream is pure decadence, they’re brownies in their party frocks posing for the camera.
I made them for a girly night in. We ate cake, drank and got overly opinionated over the contestants on Gok Wan’s Baggage.
Rolo Brownie Cupcakes
Oven 180 C / gas 4
12 whole muffin pan lined with 10 paper cases
- 100 g { 4 ounces } dark chocolate with a good cocoa content, chopped small
- 100 g { one stick } unsalted butter
- 125 g { 1/2 cup } soft light brown sugar
- tiny pinch of salt
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g {1/2 cup } self-raising flour
- 2 rolls of Rolos, each Rolo cut into quarters
- 1 tin Carnation Caramel, or a similar thick caramel sauce
Gently melt the butter in a saucepan, once it has started to melt add the chopped chocolate and very gently melt them together. Remove from the heat to prevent it over-cooking and to cool down a little.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt with a spoon until thick and voluptuous. Pour in the cooled chocolate/butter and beat to combine.
Sift over the flour into the chocolate batter then stir in followed by the chopped up Rolos.
Half fill the 10 paper cases then drop about 1/2 a teaspoon of the caramel into the middle of each one. Use the rest of the batter to cover the caramel and to fill the cases to 3/4s full.
Bake for around 12 - 14 minutes until risen and fairly firm, they should remain moist and fudgy though. Cool completely on a wire rack, although eating one whilst still warm is highly recommended!
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 3 tbsp boiling water and a tiny pinch of salt
- 100 g { 1 stick } soft unsalted butter
- 400 g { 3 cups } icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- the rest of the tin of caramel
- Rolos for decoration
- 50 g { 2 ounces } melted chocolate to drizzle over to finish
Beat the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa liquid and half the icing sugar and beat until it resembles buttercream. Add the rest of the icing sugar, beat again then add the vanilla.
Now you can create caramel swirls in your buttercream two ways. The easiest is to stir swirls into the buttercream very loosely then pop into a piping bag. If you want bigger, more precise swirls you can use two piping bags. Fill one with the rest of the caramel and snip a small hole off the bottom for it to come out. Insert your favourite wide nozzle into another piping bag and place the caramel filled one inside this. Fill the bag with the buttercream and squeeze until both the buttercream and the caramel come out together.
Finish your cakes with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a whole Rolo.
- 100 g { 4 ounces } dark chocolate with a good cocoa content, chopped small
- 100 g { one stick } unsalted butter
- 125 g { 1/2 cup } soft light brown sugar
- tiny pinch of salt
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g {1/2 cup } self-raising flour
- 2 rolls of Rolos, each Rolo cut into quarters
- 1 tin Carnation Caramel, or a similar thick caramel sauce
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 3 tbsp boiling water and a tiny pinch of salt
- 100 g { 1 stick } soft unsalted butter
- 400 g { 3 cups } icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- the rest of the tin of caramel
- Rolos for decoration
- 50 g { 2 ounces } melted chocolate to drizzle over to finish
- Gently melt the butter in a saucepan, once it has started to melt add the chopped chocolate and very gently melt them together. Remove from the heat to prevent it over-cooking and to cool down a little.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt with a spoon until thick and voluptuous. Pour in the cooled chocolate/butter and beat to combine.
- Sift over the flour into the chocolate batter then stir in followed by the chopped up Rolos.
- Half fill the 10 paper cases then drop about 1/2 a teaspoon of the caramel into the middle of each one. Use the rest of the batter to cover the caramel and to fill the cases to 3/4s full. Bake for around 12 - 14 minutes until risen and fairly firm, they should remain moist and fudge though. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa liquid and half the icing sugar and beat until it resembles buttercream. Add the rest of the icing sugar, beat again then add the vanilla.
- Now you can create caramel swirls in your buttercream two ways. The easiest is to stir swirls into the buttercream very loosely then pop into a piping bag. If you want bigger, more precise swirls you can use two piping bags. Fill one with the rest of the caramel and snip a small hole off the bottom for it to come out. Insert your favourite wide nozzle into another piping bag and place the caramel filled one inside this. Fill the bag with the buttercream and squeeze until both the buttercream and the caramel come out together.
- Finish your cakes with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a whole Rolo.
Love chocolate?
Here are five more decadent chocolate recipes:
Chocolate Guinness Cake. Hands down, the best cake ever! I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t want seconds!
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls. Inspired by a trip to Copenhagen.
French Chocolate Cake. Oo la la!
Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies. These gluten-free brownies are unbelievable!
Chocolate Orange Cupcakes. Gorgeous and vegan!
By Rachel A Davis 
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hey I have just made these they taste lush warm I am having to restrain myself from eating them all! Just a couple of questions they sank in the middle when I took them out does that mean undercooked? Also would you leave them in the tin to cool as they were so soft and tricky to get out? Thank you
Hi Charlie!
Mmm,they are decadent eh! I’ve not made them for ages, trying desperately to be healthier with my eating habits!
Yes, if they sink they could be under cooked. This could be for a few reasons: the oven may not be hot enough, they were taken out too soon, or the oven was opened during baking. The caramel could also make them sink a little as it leaves an air pocket.
If they were difficult to get out this could also be a sign that they needed a little longer in the oven. With a brownie base these cakes should be less sponge-like, more dense but they still should hold their shape well.
Thank you so much for getting in touch, I will alter the wording for when to take them out of the oven to hopefully make it clearer xxxx
Thank you for your reply it’s possible I had them too low in my oven am going to keep trying them as they still tasted great and easily the best icing ever.
Brilliant! I’m so glad you loved them, so delicious xxxx
I did not get to make the frosting…..we ate the cupcakes before they even cooled. Thry were that tasty. Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Haha, you are most welcome! Thanks for commenting 😀
Where do you buy tins of caramel?
Hi Elizabeth!
Well, they are pretty easy to find here in the UK, most supermarkets carry it, you might find something similar in jars for topping ice cream etc. Or you could make some yourself with condensed milk (Google: make caramel with condensed milk).
Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
How come my caramel sunk to bottom?! 🙁
Oh dear! That’s not happened to me, you poor thing xxx
Could be a few reasons: the batter for the brownie sponge could be a little thin, poss big eggs? Did you make it using cup measurements or weight measurements? Another reason could be a caramel was not thick enough– did you use the tinned condensed milk caramel from the tin or a different kind?
These cupcakes look scrumptious!! Beautifull pictures!
Cheers! They are sure one sugary hit right there!
All the art was beautiful…but completely paled in comparison to that first shot of the cupcake! YUM!
tee hee! Thank you, lovely comment 🙂
I love Rolo a lot & these cupcakes filled with yummyness look so amazing, my friend! Tasty, delicious & superb even! A beautiful presentation too!
Aw, thank you honey xxxx
Looks SO good, and your pics of Dundee are gorgeous!
ooo, thank you. I need to take more, I love this city 🙂
Fiance’s response: “Why can’t you make those?”
Hahaha, this comment made me smile this morning! ;-P
OMG these look good. I’ve just eaten half a pan of the salted caramel brownies that I just made, so I can’t make these any time soon…but I’m telling you they are on the list. We just love rolos and I make a rolo cookie every year during the holidays. They are a tribute to the rolo bar that I fell in love with in New Zealand. You did a gorgeous job of these cupcakes!
Thank you! I’ve never seen Rolo bars. I was inspired by the can of caramel, which was on offer in the supermarket. I couldnt’t face any more brownie for a while I don’t think!
These look amazing!! And thanks for the awesome idea on how to swirl the buttercream. Love your photos 🙂
thank you! I hope I made it clear enough xxxx
Love your first line: “I think I might have gone overboard…” I guess going overboard is a good idea when it comes to cupcakes for a party. They look fantastic! Love the photos of Dundee too…
After a few of these, you would sink too! I wish I’d taken a few more pics of Dundee but I ran out of time.
Oh. Wow.
Oh. My. Gosh. I am sooooo hungry now! These looks totally amazing! 🙂
thank you! Think I OD’d on the sugar this weekend getting these right!