Vanilla cupcakes are our trusty old friend of desserts, but sometimes they just… lack some excitement. That’s why I had the wildest idea: why not jazz them up with a caramel twist? Sweet meets salty, and boom: flavor explosion! My cupcake shop’s got a bit of a rep now, all thanks to my salted caramel cupcake recipe.
Why We Are All In Love With Salted Caramel Filled Cupcake Recipe
- Everything starts with a light and fluffy vanilla cupcake. The perfect blank canvas, you know? It’s not too heavy and can easily handle bolder caramel flavors without overwhelming them. And how can ANYONE resist the mind-blowing combo of salt and rich, sweet caramel?
- And let’s not forget about the homemade caramel sauce – our secret sauce, literally. The brown sugar adds a deep, butterscotch-like layer that takes things to the next level. Add in some cream and butter for extra creamy goodness, and you’ve got a recipe for perfection!
- You can totally savor these babies on their own, but they also play nice with hot coffee, steaming tea, or, hey, even a classy glass of wine! And if you feel fancy, why not plop them on vanilla ice cream or even enjoy it with other cakes like Snickerdoodle or Sunflower cupcakes? Talk about the ultimate treat!
How To Make Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Step 1.
Preheat your oven to 356ºF or 180ºC. Then, grab two 12-hole cake tins and line them with the 18 paper cases; we’re gonna make about 18 cupcakes!
Step 2.
Beat the sugar and stick butter together with a whisk until fluffy and pale in color. Add all the eggs, one by one, then a dash of vanilla extract. Give everything a quick mix and gently fold in the self-rising flour until everything’s just combined! Finally, pour the milk in and stir until the cake batter slides off the beater.
Step 3.
Time to prep your homemade cupcakes for the oven!
Scoop your batter evenly into the paper cases, but don’t use it all up; hold back about 3 tablespoons!
If your caramel sauce isn’t salty, just sprinkle a pinch of salt (about ¾ teaspoon) on it for that perfect balance. Then, drop about ½ teaspoon of caramel on top of every mini cupcake, and spread the remaining 3 tablespoons of batter all over that caramel!
Pop these babies in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they’re springy to the touch and beautifully golden. Once they’re done, leave them on the wire rack to cool down completely.
Step 4.
While the cupcakes are cooling down, let’s whip up some icing!
Grab a medium bowl. Add your icing sugar (half by half) and the softened butter, whisking after each addition until it’s fluffy and pale. Mix half of your salted caramel in the icing, then spoon it into a large piping bag fitted with your favorite nozzle (doesn’t matter whether it’s star-shaped or round). You’re all set!
Step 5.
Time to make these cupcakes look as good as they taste!
Grab your piping bag (now filled with that fluffy icing) and start swirling on each cooled cupcake. Then, give the remaining half of the salted caramel a quick stir and drizzle it over your icing. You can even sprinkle a hint of coarse sea salt on top of it for an extra pop of flavor!
And there you have it: perfect salted caramel cupcakes ready to steal the show.
Notes
- Before beating the butter, you gotta make sure it’s at the proper temperature. Room temperature, to be exact! That means it must be soft and leave a little dent when you gently poke it with your fingers.
If your butter is still cold, no sweat! Chop it into smaller pieces and let them sit at room temp until nice and soft. Just give it about 1 hour, and you’ll be golden!
2. Alright, let’s make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature, too; cold stuff won’t mix well, and you’ll end up with super dense cupcakes! So, I always take time to let them warm up.
Here’s my handy guide: right before baking, I dunk the cold eggs in a warm water bowl for 15 minutes or so. No hot water, of course; we just need a gentle warm-up!
3. Adorable caramel candies top off these moist cupcakes perfectly. I usually go with soft candies, halve them, dunk them in melted chocolate, and then sprinkle on some sea salt. (Confession time: I run out of time a LOT, so only a few candies get the chocolate treatment, actually!)
If you’re also in a rush like me, no sweat! You can totally count on store-bought caramel sweets, Rolos, or any other caramel decor you’re after.
4. You can whip up these cupcakes a day before, then cover them up and leave them at room temperature until you’re ready to serve!
Now, if you’re thinking even further ahead, I have great news: both unfrosted and frosted cupcakes can sit for a solid THREE months in the freezer! Whenever you crave a treat, just pop them in the fridge overnight to thaw, then let them come to room temp before digging in.
5. To get the best results for your frosting, keep it simple with a round piping tip. Star tips might not hold up that great since our frosting is a bit on the thinner, creamier side!
FAQs
Can I Make The Caramel Sauce Myself?
Obviously, you can (and you should!). Just make sure to swirl the pan gently when stirring the sugar so that the heat is spread evenly. Once the sugar starts caramelizing around the edges, gently nudge it towards the center with a spoon.
How Do I Keep The Cupcakes From Drying Out?
Always remember my three rules: no overmixing – no overbaking (check its doneness with a toothpick) – and room temperature ingredients only!
Happy baking!
Discover More Unique Cupcake Recipes:
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 150 g softened salted butter
- 150 g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 1 ½ tsp milk
- 9 tsp caramel sauce
Icing:
- 112.5 g soft salted butter
- 225 g icing sugar
- 300 g caramel sauce
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 356ºF (180ºC) and line 18 cupcake molds with paper cases.
- Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the cake flour, then pour in milk and mix until combined.
- Divide your cupcake batter into the cases, reserving 3 tablespoons. Sprinkle salt on half of your caramel sauce, place on top of each cupcake, then use the remaining 3 tablespoons of batter to cover it. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While cooling, prepare the icing. Whisk the icing sugar (added half by half) and butter until fluffy, then mix in the remaining half of your salted caramel. Pipe the frosting onto your cool cupcakes.
- Sprinkle some sea salt if you want.
Notes
- The butter should be at room temperature. If it’s cold, chop the butter into tablespoon pieces and let it sit for about an hour.
- Eggs and milk should also be at room temperature. You can dunk cold eggs in warm water for 15 minutes.
- Caramel candies can be topped on cupcakes, optionally dipped in chocolate, and sprinkled with sea salt. Store-bought candies like Rolos can also be used.
- Cupcakes can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature. They can also be frozen for 3 months and thawed in the fridge overnight.
- Use a round piping tip for frosting, as star tips might not work well with thinner frosting.
