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–+ servings

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

If you are a salted caramel lover, these salted caramel cupcakes are right up your alley. They have a soft and moist vanilla cake, salted caramel filling, salted caramel buttercream, and a salted caramel drizzle. How many times can one person say salted caramel in a sentence because I think I just broke that record.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
 

Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) salted butter room temperature, cubed
  • ½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Cupcakes

  • 1 ¼ cups (157 grams) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 grams) whole milk room temperature

Caramel Buttercream

  • ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons salted caramel
  • 3-4 cups (360-480 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk/heavy cream

Instructions

Salted Caramel

  • Add the sugar to a medium-large sauce pan. Place the pan on the stove on low-medium heat while continuously stirring and moving the sugar around the pan. The sugar will clump up before it completely melts.
  • Once the sugar completely melts, it will be a smooth amber/caramel colored liquid. It can take anywhere from 8-12 minutes to completely melt.
  • Once completely melted, add the cubed butter. It will bubble up. Whisk vigorously until the butter is completely melted into the sugar and they are homogeneous. Let the mixture sit and bubble for 30 seconds to one minute without stirring.
  • Slowly add in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up again. Whisk until the heavy cream is combined. Allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds to one minute without stirring. During this time, it will rise in the pan - let it!
  • Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk to combine. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool and thicken while you make the cupcakes.

Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on high speed until completely combined. This will only happen if the butter is fully at room temperature. About 2-3 minutes.
  • With the mixer on low speed, stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla extract and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
  • With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do not over mix.
  • Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcake cups. The batter should be the perfect amount for 12 regular-sized cupcakes. Fill the liners until they are ½ - ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Caramel Buttercream

  • While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter by itself on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the caramel and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until combined. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and milk/heavy cream and beat until combined. You may need to add more powdered sugar (to thicken) or milk (to thin) depending on the desired consistency. Once everything is completely mixed in, beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes.

Assemble

  • Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use the bottom of a piping tip (the opposite end of where the frosting would come out if you were piping) and press into the top of the cupcake and twist.
  • Gently pull out the piping tip - you should have a perfect little hole where the caramel goes. Fill the hole you created with the caramel filling.
  • If you do not have a piping tip, you can carefully cut a hole in the top of the cupcake with a sharp knife then follow the same instructions as above.
  • Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. Drizzle more caramel on top of the buttercream and enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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