Caramel Cupcake Recipe

These are moist, light, and fluffy brown sugar cupcakes. They are filled with sweet salted caramel and frosted with caramel buttercream. And this is hands down the best caramel cupcake you will make.

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This week, I made these cupcakes with the kids. Being in quarantine, I have been baking and cooking with the kids, trying to keep them busy. They love baking with me, so they don’t need to be convinced.

Oh boy, were these a hit! My kids loved making the cupcakes, and, of course, the buttercream is finger-licking good. As a result, we had to make smaller swirls on the cupcakes because the kids could not stop eating the salted caramel sauce and licking the buttercream. I thought we would have none left for the cupcakes.

As you can see in the photo below, some of the cupcakes at the back were not perfectly frosted, as those were done by my kids. So much fun with the kids. You must try.

About these cupcakes

If you like caramel, then you are going to love these. The basic cupcake batter is my brown sugar cupcakes, which use brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar adds a caramel-like flavor to these cupcakes, which is further enhanced by the caramel sauce in the filling and in the buttercream.

In addition, I have included the recipe for making homemade caramel sauce below. And yet, you can also use ready-made caramel sauce.

For the frosting, I have used my caramel buttercream frosting, which, of course, enhances the caramel flavor. But, if that is too much caramel for you, then you can use my Caramel Cupcakes with caramel centers, which are frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream instead of this caramel frosting.

Since I made these cupcakes with the kids, I do not have a video for this recipe. But I do have a video on how to make my caramel buttercream and caramel sauce. You can also see the sauce in the recipe card below.

Baking with kids

Now, if you plan to make these cupcakes with kids, do not make the caramel sauce from scratch. Either make the sauce ahead of time and cool it, or use ready-made caramel sauce. Why? Because caramel sauce is hot, boiling sugar, you want to make it without any kids around.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my recipes. And yet, if salted butter is all you have – use it, but omit salt in the recipe.
• Brown sugar – This is what adds that unique flavor to the buttercream as compared to the vanilla cupcakes. And, if you can’t find brown sugar, use white sugar and 1 tbsp of molasses.
• Eggs – I use large eggs, about 50 to 60 grams each.
• Fresh cream – I use a good 34 to 38 percent of fat, but it’s just a guideline. You can also use milk. And yet, it will affect the richness of the cupcakes.
• Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive, which is why I make my own homemade vanilla extract, bean paste, or sugar.

Caramel sauce 

This is, of course, the key ingredient. I always use homemade caramel sauce. And yet, I think any store-bought might work just as well as long as it’s not too runny. By the way, it takes five minutes to make a homemade caramel sauce. Also, I highly recommend not using freshly made sauce. Use one that’s cooled completely but not chilled. Chilled caramel may not blend well with the butter. If the caramel you have is stiff, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. If necessary, microwave for only 10 seconds.

Step-by-step instructions

Bake cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 160 °C / 320°F.
• Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• Sift flour with salt and baking powder.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
• Next, add cream and flour, mixing in three batches.
• Lastly, add the vanilla.
• Use an ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 18 to 20 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Chill cupcakes completely before you decorate.

Prepare caramel sauce

• Place the sugar, lemon, and water in a deep, light-colored pan (so you can see the color).
• With the heat on medium-low, cook the sugar.
• Shake and swirl the pan slowly, guiding the heat distribution.
• The sugar should now start to color into a golden amber.
• Once all the sugar is amber, add in the butter and stir constantly.
• Followed by the cream. (Watch your hands; the caramel will rise when you add the butter and cream.)
• Add the salt and barely combine.
• Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then pour it into a mason jar or bowl. 
• As the mixture cools, it will become thicker. At least 3 hours.

Prepare caramel buttercream

• Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl.
• Using the paddle attachment, mix the butter until light and creamy.
• Next, add a half cup of caramel sauce – combine well
• Add the remaining sauce – and combine again
• Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
• Once all the ingredients have been combined, whip for three minutes until the butterscotch is light and fluffy.

Assemble

• Place the caramel sauce in a piping bag with a Bismarck piping tip or similar.
• Place buttercream into a piping bag with a large star piping tip.
• Fill the cupcakes with caramel sauce.
• Then, pipe a swirl of caramel buttercream.
• Drizzle some melted chocolate (optional).
• Decorate as desired.

Frequently asked questions

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