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Salted Caramel Cupcakes

By: · Published · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links

It's as easy as ______! Go on, fill in the blank.

A few weeks ago while we were at a bike race, I was cheering people on. "It's as easy as CAKE!," came flying from my mouth. I didn't think anything of it, but Handsome looked at my dumbfounded. "Cake? What the hell is that?"

Now, to be fair, I am very bad at expressions. I never get them quite right, almost like I miss the nuance of it. So, I thought for a while that perhaps cake was not the right way to say what I was trying to and that it was peculiar.... Until my co-worker said exact the same thing the other day, "Easy as cake!" Thank you!

Now on to our own pint sized cakes.

 

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

from SprinkleBakes

Ingredients:

For the brown sugar cupcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 teas baking powder
  • ¼ teas salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs packed light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teas vanilla
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbs buttermilk, at room temperature

For the caramel filling:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tbs salted butter, cubed
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tbs heavy cream, at room temperature

For the caramel buttercream:

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tbs water
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teas vanilla extract
  • 1 stick salted butter, softened
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ teas sea salt
  • 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar over medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beating until incorporated.

Using a medium ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the lined cups, filling each a little over half way.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Make the filling: In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar, whisking occasionally. Cook until the sugar turns a deep amber.

Stir in the butter until melted. Pour in the heavy cream carefully as the mixture will bubble and foam. Whisk until the mixture becomes a smooth sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

To fill the cupcakes, with a small pairing knife, cut out a circle in the center of each cupcake about 1 inch deep. Don't discard the cutouts. Spoon 1 teas of sauce in the center of each cupcake and pop the tops back on.

Make the buttercream: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until the mixture turns a deep amber. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Set aside and let cool for at least 20 minutes. It will still be pourable, just not burn your face off hot any more.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a clean paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Scrape down the sides and with the motor still running on low, pour in the cooled caramel.  Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spoon icing into an pastry bag fitted with desired tip and ice cupcakes.

 

The winner of last weeks Silpat giveaway from BigKitchen was Sara!

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  4. sally @ sally's baking addiction says

    I recently made salted caramel cupcakes but with chocolate fudgy cupcakes and the caramel frosting on top. The combination was out of this world! Brown sugar cupcakes sound incredible though. Such a nice compliment to the salted caramel. Happy Friday!

    Reply

  5. The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says

    Easy as cake. You sound like my mother who used to always tell us we were 'threading on thin ice.' But she's French so she has an excuse. 🙂

    I'm stunned by how amazing those cupcakes look. I want to make these. There's no way I'll be able to do the swirly thing with the frosting, but I want them so much. I'm curious as to what heaven cream is. Is that just spell check doing it's thing with heavy cream or is there such a thing?

    Reply

  12. Suez Kitchen says

    I like the idea of filling the cupcakes with caramel. They sound like a nice blend of caramel flavors with the brown sugar in the cupcakes, the caramel filling and the salted caramel frosting. Will have to give this a try!

    Reply

  13. movita beaucoup says

    Holy crow! The cupcakes sound amazing and your photos are NEXT LEVEL!! My mum would absolutely adore these - she's a huge caramel fan, and recently fell in love with the whole salted caramel concept. This is going to secure my position as Favourite Child...

    Reply

  14. sara says

    These cupcakes look awesome! 🙂
    Just saw that I won the Silpat giveaway, yay! Will send you an email shortly. 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply

  22. Karen says

    I really want to make these, but is there a quantity of sugar missing in the buttercream? You say beat the butter and sugar together then slowly add the confectioner's sugar, but you don't mention how much sugar to beat with the butter. And, do you need 1 stick of salted and 1 stick of unsalted butter? Maybe one of these was meant to be sugar? These cupcakes look amazing, and I love your photography! Thanks!

    Reply

  23. Jodi says

    I made these for my husband's work social along with four other types of "gourmet" cupcakes. These were by far the most popular. So delicious - my new favourite. Thanks for the recipe! Will use again in the future 🙂

    Reply

  24. Bronwyn says

    I made these today. I haven't tasted one yet, but all the different components were delicious on their own. It was my first time making caramel and I felt like I had conquered the world!
    If I were to make it again, though, I'd make more of the icing.. there just wasn't enough in my opinion.

    Reply

  25. Kat says

    Hi! I really want to try this recipe of yours cuz they look really amazing! But I'm confused as to how the buttercream recipes goes. You say beat the butter and sugar together then slowly add the confectioner’s sugar, but you don’t mention how much sugar to beat with the butter. And, do you need 1 stick of salted and 1 stick of unsalted butter? Maybe one of these was meant to be sugar? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Kita says

      Sorry about that. There is no additional sugar (fixed), but two sticks of butter, one salted and one unsalted are needed.

      Reply

  26. Ling says

    Heya, thanks for the recipe. I'm trying it out, but just realised that you didn't mention when to add the seasalt for the frosting?

    Reply

  31. Leah says

    Hi! I baked these cupcakes twice now, using your recipe. The cupcakes are so good, I love your recipe! But I have one problem my cupcakes turned always flat on top even of they are still in the oven they didn't rise like a dome shape. I followed the exact measurement and procedures but I can't get the dome shape top. I don't know if I under/over beat the batter or...I don't really know what's wrong... I am using an electric hand mixer, is there a difference between electric stand mixer to electric hand mixer when doing the batter? I already changed my cupcake baking pans because I thought that is the problem. At first try I used a standard baking powder and at 2nd try I used a double rise baking powder but the results are the same flat top. Then I experimented, I filled the cupcake liners to 2/3 and some are half way and some are 3/4 way but all of them has the same flat top. I hope you can help me and give some tip/ideas. Thank you 🙂

    Reply

    • Tiffany says

      Leah, I actually have the same problem with this recipe. My tops come out flat. I've done this recipe a dozen times, and the one thing I figured out is I have to fill them a little less than 2/3 full so they don't flatten out over the top of the liner and look a mess.

      Reply