Is there anything better in life than salted caramel? Possibly kittens but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. My love for salted caramel is well documented and I knew I had to translate this obsession into the perfect cupcake.
This salted caramel cupcake is a triple threat – the cupcake is filled with a salted caramel centre, decorated with salted caramel buttercream and receives a final salted caramel drizzle at the end.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cupcake
- 230 g butter softened
- 1¾ cups brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups self-raising flour
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 120 ml water
- 3/4 cup thickened cream
- 2 tsp sea salt
Salted Caramel buttercream
- 230 g butter softened
- 6-8 cups icing sugar
- 3/4 of the salted caramel
Instructions
Salted Caramel
- Dissolve the sugar into the water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and let it bubble away over a medium heat.
- The mixture should turn a golden caramel colour after around 5 minutes. DON’T stir the caramel mixture – the sugar will crystallize.
- Once the caramel has reached the desired colour, take it off the heat and add the salt and cream. Stir furiously as the caramel will want to harden quickly.
- Pop the caramel cream mixture in a small bowl and put it in the fridge to help cool down quickly.
Brown Sugar Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
- Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth in a large bowl.
- Gradually add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift the 2 flours and salt into a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Do not overmix!
- Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full with mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- When cupcakes have cooled down, put approx 3-4 tablespoons of salted caramel into a small piping bag with a thin tipped nozzle attached.
- Insert the tip into the cupcake and pipe in a small amount of caramel into each cupcake.
Salted Caramel buttercream
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and icing sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy.
- Add 3/4 of your caramel mixture and continue beating until well combined. Remember to save enough to drizzle over the cupcakes.
- Spoon the mixture into an icing bag with a nozzle attached and ice the cupcakes.
- Finish the cupcakes off with a drizzle of the remaining salted caramel.
We start off with a brown sugar cupcake, which acts as a subtle yet delicious base to our caramel fiesta. A delicious salted caramel buttercream is piped on top, giving us lovely, slightly golden roses. (Side note – loving my new Wilton #1M piping tip!)
And then HELLO SURPRISE! A deliciously gooey salted caramel filling. Hooray! Instead of laboriously cutting a small hole out of the top of each cupcake to fill, I simply put the caramel into a small piping bag with a nozzle attached. See here for a guide.
The cupcake clearly needs more salted caramel, so I end with a drizzle from above. Ah the joys of being a one-woman photography team, I am sure you can appreciate how difficult these types of shots are to get. DSLR camera in one shakey hand, pouring salted caramel seductively with the other, attempting, HOPING, to get the caramel to actually hit the cupcake. This was like my 5th shot. Caramel everywhere.
I hope you enjoy making these as much as I enjoy eating them! :)
45 Comments
That sounds incredible! Great shots too – one handed photography is the worst!
It’s so hard isn’t it Liz! I don’t have the steadiest hands at the best of times haha :)
*faints with joy* amazing recipe! if there’s anything better than salted caramel, it’s surely TRIPLE salted caramel!
The more salted caramel the merrier!!
Firstly your piping work belongs in a museum. Secondly, I want to put my face in this. And finally, I don’t think a triple kitten cupcake would be nearly as good.
Thank you honey! And I have to agree, a triple kitten cupcake would be too furry ;D
I said yes to every photo and it got louder every time. I love this Swah! You salted caramel goddess!
Haha awesome Tina, and what a compliment! Thank you! x
ngaaaaw this looks so cute and pretty!
Thanks Annie :)
superb piping skills as always! love the triple salted caramel! whoa!
Thanks honey xx
Oooeeee these sound incredible! Love the little surprise inside
Who doesn’t love a caramel surprise?! :D
I am so excited to try this recipe, I am recently obsessed with everything salted caramel. Can one use cake flour verses the 2 types of flours mentioned?
Hi Gina, I am completely obsessed with salted caramel too! Yes you can use cake flour to replace, however you would need to add some baking powder as a leavening agent, I would add 2 teaspoons.
My caramel didn’t thicken? Tastes amazing but too runny! What have I done wrong?
I had the same issue! Still delish, but my cupcake absorbed it all!
Hi Sari, try using less cream next time you make the caramel OR ensure you are using the thickened cream variety. I’ve made it before with normal cream and it was quite runny (however, to save it, you can return the saucepan to the stove after you’ve added the cream and let it reduce) xx
Thank you so much! I am going to try this on this lovely NY snow day. You wouldn’t happen to have any gluten free cake/cupcake or dessert recipes?
You are very welcome Gina and I hope the cold weather gets better soon! I must admit I don’t have a huge amount of gluten free recipes yet but I am working on them :)
[…] 5. Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes […]
If caster sugar isn’t readily available is granulated okay to use? I assume it would just take longer to dissolve.
Hi Kaylin, granulated sugar is fine, you just might need to cream it with the butter a little longer for it to combine and dissolve properly :)
I have tried a LOT of salted caramel recipes. They weren’t all terrible, I mean how bad can caramel be really? But they weren’t great, either. They set too hard, the method was all wrong or you had to be a wizard to get the timing down. This recipe, however, is exquisite. It is the perfect salty caramelly combination and the texture is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing. I had a week long panic when I couldn’t find the recipe again. I am writing it down, taking a picture and putting it on my computer so that never happens again.
Thank you for your kind words Stephanie! It took a lot of tweaking ingredients and cooking times before I perfected this recipe and achieved the right consistency. I am glad you enjoy it as much as me :)
How long can I keep the salted caramel for? PS, amazing recipe!!!!!!!!
Thanks Cassandra! It should keep for 7 to 10 days in the fridge in an airtight container :)
Amazing recipe! But my caramel was too runny which made frosting too runny. What did I of wrong??
Hi Jessica! Next time I would suggest using slightly less cream, in fact I have updated the recipe (to 3/4 cup) to reflect this. Types of cream differ in consistency so I think it’s better to play it safe and add less than more :)
Absolutely love these. Made these for my boyfriends birthday and have been asked to make them over and over again!
So happy you (and everyone else) enjoyed them Preeti! I get requested to bake these a lot too :)
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Hello, these cupcakes look amazing!! As salted caramel is my favourite thing in the universe, I plan to make them next Thursday for a dinner party I am hosting on Friday night. I just wanted to check how I should store them overnight? Airtight container of course – but in or out of the fridge?
Thanks a lot :)
Hi Nicole! If it’s relatively cool in your kitchen, I recommend you just store them on the bench. I only refrigerate my cupcakes if it’s hotter then around 30 degrees Celsius. You don’t want melty buttercream!
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Wow this is by far the best cupcake recipe ever!! Cupcakes were so light and fluffy! Caramel turned out delicious!! I have failed a few times with caramel in the past but not with this recipe!! Very impressed!!
I’m so glad this recipe was a success for you!! It’s one of my favs xx
Hi Swah! I am so glad I found this recipe! Can I just ask if it’s light brown or dark brown sugar you use for the cakes? Would it make a difference if the brown sugar is light or dark? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
Dark brown sugar will give it a deeper, more caramel flavour but you can use either! :)
Serious craving for salted caramel after reading this lady! I can also relate to the one handed nice hand shots.. I can never get them!!! Looks delish x
Thanks Bec! I have mega salted caramel cravings now too… well, I always do ;) xx
when the recipe asks for thickened cream which I’m assuming is double cream do I need to whip it before adding to the salted caramel mixture or do I just add it?
Just add it :)