Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups and set aside.
Whisk together soy milk and vinegar and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder & soda, and salt.
In a large bowl combine soy milk/vinegar mixture, oil, applesauce, coffee, and sugar, mixing together until well incorporated.
In two batches add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined, a few lumps are okay. Fill baking cups about ¾ full and bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle come out clean. Remove from oven. After 10 minutes, transfer cupcakes to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
To make the caramel sauce follow these directions. Set aside to cool.
To make the buttercream, cream together the vegan butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and caramel. Beat to combine, scraping down the sides as necessary. With mixer going, slowly add the powdered sugar until completely incorporated. Turn up speed to medium-high and beat until creamy, about 5 minutes.
With a pairing knife cut out a cone in the center of each cupcake - you'll want to remove about 1 tablespoon of cake.
Combine the chopped candy bars and peanuts with ¼ cup caramel sauce and mix to combine. (Reserve a few pieces of candy to sprinkle on top of the frosted cupcakes). Spoon candy mixture into the center of each cupcake.
Cover with buttercream and drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and candy bars.