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1
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350u00b0F/180u00b0C/gas 4. Generously coat the top of the muffin pans with baking spray. Line 20 of the muffin cups with paper baking cup liners. Set aside.
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2
To make the cream cheese filling, place the cream cheese, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in the bowl of your KitchenAid(R) Stand Mixer fitted with the flat beater. Attach the KitchenAid(R) Sifter + Scale Attachment to your mixer. With the ingredient valve in the closed position, weigh the sugar in the ingredient hopper. Turn the mixer to medium speed, open the ingredient valve, and sift the sugar into the mixing bowl. Beat the cream cheese mixture until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Wash and dry the mixer bowl, place back on the mixer, and fit the mixer with the whip attachment.
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3
To make the cupcakes, close the ingredient valve. Weigh the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the ingredient hopper, taring the scale between ingredients.
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4
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, and then whisk in the sour cream, buttermilk, canola oil, and vanilla extract.
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5
With the mixer on medium-low, open the ingredient valve and sift the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl. Once all the dry ingredients are sifted in, slowly pour in the sour cream mixture, mixing just until the flour disappears. Now, pour the boiling water down the side of the bowl, mixing just until incorporated. Turn the mixer off. Remove the mixer bowl, and use a rubber spatula to blend in any flour remaining on the sides or bottom of the bowl.
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6
To fill the cupcakes, spoon 2 tablespoons of cupcake batter into each lined baking cup. Then spoon about 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling on top and in the center of the batter. Finish by adding another tablespoon of batter on top of each cupcake, covering the cream cheese filling. You should end up with 18 to 20 filled cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven until the tops crown, and a toothpick inserted along the edge comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. (If you insert the toothpick in the center you'll hit the soft cream cheese, which won't be a good indicator of doneness.) For even baking, at the midpoint, rotate the pans from front to back. Cool the cupcakes in the pans set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Lift out the cupcakes and set them on wire racks to cool completely.
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7
While the cupcakes are baking, make the salted caramel glaze. In a 3-quart/3-liter deep, heavy bottomed pot, combine the sugar, water, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Cook over high heat, boiling the sugar mixture, without stirring, until the sugar starts to color around the edges of the pot. Swirl the pan to promote even caramelization, but do not stir. Continue to boil until the sugar syrup is a dark mahogany color and the sugar syrup is lightly smoking, about 10 to 12 minutes.
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8
Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Wear an oven mitt on the hand that will be doing the stirring. In a slow, steady stream, pour the warmed cream into the sugar syrup, stirring with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate. (Stand back a bit as you do this because the mixture will steam and bubble up furiously.) Once the cream is incorporated, stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
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9
To glaze the cupcakes, place a baking sheet under a wire rack to catch any excess glaze. Give the salted caramel glaze another stir, and then use a spoon to drizzle the glaze back and forth across the top of each cupcake. Set them aside until the glaze sets up, about 20 minutes. The cupcakes are best when served on the day they are baked. The cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 2 days in a covered container. (Note: The salted caramel glaze recipe makes at least a cupful more than you'll need to glaze these cupcakes. The extra can transferred to an airtight jar and refrigerated for up to one month. Spoon over ice cream, layer in milkshakes, or, eat with a spoon straight from the jar!)
