Directions:

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12 count muffin tin with liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, room
   temperature eggs, vanilla extract, room temperature sour cream, and room temperature
   buttermilk together with a whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir carefully and slowly until you see the flour pieces disappear into the batter. Do not mix past this point because overmixing could lead to dense cupcakes.
4. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin liners, adding about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to each liner. The liners should be about 3⁄4 full.
5. Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the centers look set, a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out with moist crumbs, and the cupcake springs back quickly when you poke the center with your pointer finger. Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before decorating.

For the Frosting

1. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer that is fitted with a paddle attachment, mix cool butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. This should take about 2 minutes.
2. Pour the caramel sauce into the frosting and beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure the caramel sauce is dispersed throughout.
3. If desired, transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a tip of your choice or a zippable plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
4. Frost each cupcake as desired.

For the Decoration

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments and mixing thoroughly between each round.
2. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag with a tip of your choice or a zippable plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
3. Drizzle the chocolate over each cupcake.
4. Decorate the cupcakes with the chopped pecans. Store cupcakes tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.