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Salted Caramel Cupcakes

These are moist and tender almond cupcakes filled with homemade salted caramel sauce and topped with melt-in-your-mouth, delicious salted caramel buttercream. These salted caramel almond cupcakes are the best cupcakes!
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Assembling Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
 

For the Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
  • 5 tablespoon (70 g) salted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon salt (¼ tsp-½ teaspoon depending on your preference)

For the Almond Cupcakes

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (141 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • tsp baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoon (70 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature

For the Salted Caramel Frosting

  • ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (70 g) prepared salted caramel sauce from above
  • 1 ½ cups (195 g) powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

  • Add the granulated white sugar to a large sauce pan and heat it over medium low heat. As the sugar is heating it will crystalize and then eventually all melt down and turn golden in color. When most of the sugar has melted, but there are still a few crystalized clumps, turn the heat down to low so the melted sugar doesn't burn. (Melting all the sugar takes around 20 minutes.)
    1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
  • Once all the sugar has melted and turned golden in color, add in the room temperature, softened butter right away. Stir quickly until the butter is incorporated.
    5 tablespoon (70 g) salted butter, softened
  • Then add in the room temperature heavy cream and stir quickly again to incorporate everything together. (At this point if you see the butter and cream start to separate from the sugar turn the heat up to medium low and stir vigorously to combine everything together. This can happen if your butter and cream aren't room temperature.)
    ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • Lastly, add in the sea salt and vanilla and stir to combine. Remove the caramel from the heat and allow to cool completely before using.
    1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon salt

For the Almond Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a small bowl whisk, together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    1 cup + 2 tablespoon (141 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)
    5 tablespoon (70 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
  • Add in the egg, egg yolk, almond extract and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed for 1 minute on until pale in color and fluffy.
    1 egg, at room temperature, 1 egg yolk, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until all is combined together and the batter is smooth. (Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula.)
    ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • Fill the cupcake liners ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream

  • Add softened butter and salt to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.)
    ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Add in salted caramel sauce and mix on medium-high speed until combined.
    ¼ cup (70 g) prepared salted caramel sauce from above
  • Then sift in powdered sugar a little at a time and combine on medium-low speed then high speed until fluffy.
    1 ½ cups (195 g) powdered sugar
  • Transfer your frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Transfer the remaining salted caramel sauce to a piping bag.
  • When the cupcakes are completely cooled, remove a bit of the centers of each. (A cupcake corer really helps with this!)
  • Pipe salted caramel sauce into the center of each cupcake.
  • Then pipe a generous amount of frosting onto each. Drizzle extra salted caramel sauce on to each cupcake. Serve!

Notes

Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to three days.
Keyword caramel, caramel cupcakes, cupcakes, salted caramel, salted caramel cupcakes, salted caramel sauce
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