Salted Caramel Cupcakes
These Salted Caramel Cupcakes involve three delicious elements: the cupcake, the salted caramel filling, and the salted caramel frosting. If you like salted caramel, you will love these cupcakes!
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Makes: 1 dozen
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Salted Caramel Filling (recipe below)
- Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)
Salted Caramel Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Pinch sea salt
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 stick2 (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a 12-cavity muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is well incorporated into the mixture. Then add vanilla.
- In three batches, add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk, making sure that each previous batch is incorporated before adding the next.
- Fill each muffin tin about ¾ of the way with batter and bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool in tin for a few minutes before moving cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cupcakes are completely cool, core out a small section from the middle (either using a cupcake corer or with a knife). Fill center of cupcake with 1-2 tsp caramel sauce. Place removed cupcake top back on if desired (not totally necessary since you'll be topping cupcake with frosting). Save any remaining filling to drizzle over finished cupcakes.
- Frost cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. I used a pastry bag and Wilton 1A pastry tip for mine. Drizzle remaining salted caramel filling over cupcakes if desired.
Salted Caramel Filling
- In a large saucepan, melt sugar over medium/high heat. Begin to gently whisk the sugar until it starts melting. Add the butter and mix until it begins to melt.
- Pour in heavy cream. The mixture will begin foaming when you add the cream. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt and allow the sauce cool just slightly.
Salted Caramel Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring at all, until it starts turning a deep brown/amber.
- Remove from heat and slowly add cream and vanilla. Lightly stir until the mixture is smooth in texture. Allow the caramel to cool, for about 20-25 minutes, but make sure to keep on eye on it as if it gets too cool, it will thicken and won't be pourable (if this happens, add a touch of water, reheat on the stovetop, and continue whisking until the caramel is pourable again).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and salt until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Slow mixer speed down a bit and add confectioners' sugar, until combined.
- Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the mixer and add in the caramel. Mix until all of the caramel is incorporated.
Notes
- Recipe slightly adapted from Sprinkle Bakes
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