April 4, 2016
Salted Caramel Cupcakes!
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Deliciously & Moist Cupcakes, with a hidden Salted Caramel centre, topped with a Silky Smooth Salted Caramel Buttercream with a Caramel Drizzle!
You guys loooove both a salted caramel and cupcake recipes – so ta daaaa! Similar flavours to my Salted Caramel Drip Cake, my more festive Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes, Salted Caramel Millionaires Shortbread, and my No Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake, im sure you guys will love this one!
These cupcakes are something that I have been wanting to post for a good while, but just haven’t got round to it! They are so deliciously light that you won’t even feel guilty about having one! Or two… three maybe? Okay four.
Anyway, this cupcake recipe I have used on my Caramac Cupcakes recipe – I use light brown sugar in the sponge and it gives it a lovely caramel flavoured sponge without having to add any caramel itself to the mix.
I just adore how light and moist these cupcakes are! And they are so simple to make! The caramel buttercream is inspired by the fact that I have an utter obsession with caramel, especially salted caramel.
I honestly can’t even explain why to my family – other than the salt takes away the overly sweet caramellyness to make the perfect flavour!
The idea of having to give cupcakes away without eating any is torturous, so I always bake a couple of extra to enjoy myself! However, these are so utterly light and delicious, I always want more anyway!
The buttercream has the perfect ratio of caramel to buttercream so that you get the hint of caramel without it being overpowering, but the drizzle on top give it a sweet kick to combat the salt! The perfect combination!
After the success of my No-Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake and Salted Caramel Nut Slice I know that these will be loved by all you salted caramel lovers out there, because I’m also obsessed. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 175 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 175 g light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs (beaten)
- 175 g self raising flour
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 12 tbsp caramel *
- 1 pinch sea salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 350 g icing sugar
- 100 g caramel *
- 1 pinch sea salt
Decoration
- caramel *
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 170C/160CFan and line a 12 hole muffin tray with large cupcake cases/muffin cases.
- Cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar with an electric beater until smooth.
- Add in the beaten eggs and self raising flour and beat again for about about 20-30 seconds on a medium speed. (Once combined it might still be a little stiff, so loosen with a spoonful of whole milk at a time.)
- Using a cookie/ice-cream scoop, scoop your batter equally into your cases.
- Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through!
- Leave to cool for around 2 hours on a wire rack.
- Once fully cooled, mix the caramel for the cupcakes with a pinch of salt.
- Cut a small hole into the cupcakes and fill with the caramel.
Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the unsalted butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it.
- Gradually add the icing sugar on a slow speed until it is combined then speed the mixer up and beat for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Add the caramel and salt to the buttercream and continue mixing. Keep on beating for 5 minutes until whipped!
Decoration
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes – drizzle with some extra caramel and some sprinkles for a bit of crunch! (I use a medium 2d close star tip for my cupcakes) Enjoy!
Notes
- *For the cupcakes centre/buttercream/drizzle you can either use Carnations Caramel, Dulce de Leche etc - a thick caramel sauce is all you need! If you are already using a salted caramel sauce, don't add any more salt!
- I buy my Cupcakes Cases from Iced Jems - here!
- Be careful not to over bake the cakes or you might lose the light texture - I bake mine for 18 minutes in my oven, every single time, as I know how long my oven takes to bake certain things - all ovens can be different!
ENJOY!
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J x
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Love this recipe- salted caramel is my favourite!
However I always find whenever I use brown sugar in recipes I end up with little lumps of sugar in the batter when I’ve mixed everything- any advice on why this happens and how I can stop it? Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hiya! It may be worth trying to sieve the sugar before using, and trying to break down any large lumps before adding! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane are you able to colour salted caramel buttercream? Thanks
Hello,
Will this be enough to ice a four layer 8 inch cake. I will be just filling in between the layers and about half an inch thick.
Thanks!
The cakes were nice but I felt the caramel filling on top of the VERY sweet butter icing (maybe it needed more than a pinch of salt?) was a bit too much. I also had tons of icing left which always a bit annoying!
Hello Jane!
I will be making my Niece’s 4th birthday cake next week and she has requested caramel cake (slightly salted) I am thinking of doing the cake in the shape of a number 4.
Do you have an idea of the amount of ingredients I would need? I’m thinking I’ll bake a square cake and then cut it so probably for a 8″ or 9″ square recipe I’m looking for?
I have used many of your wonderful recipes, all being extremely well received so any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you xx
Hello! For a 9″ square I use a 250g mix. I hope it goes well it sounds lovely!xx
Hi Jane! If I wanted to make a chocolate and salted caramel cupcake how would you suggest I tweak the recipe? Thanks! 😄
Hi Jane, can I use salted Caramel Flavouring for the salted caramel buttercream recipe. If so how much would you recommend adding? Thank you.
It depends on the brand of flavouring – most have a guide on the bottle!x
Can I use some left over caramel from Ur millionaire shortbread in these?
Hey! No this won’t work xx
Hi Jane I would like to make this eggless but not dairy free, how do I replace the eggs pls? Also i have a ready salted caramel sauce from Aldi can i use that?
THANKS
Hello! Personally I would make a vegan cake recipe instead of replacing the eggs. Yes you can to the sauce!x
Hai, Cane sugar and brown sugar, are they both same? If I’m using all purpose flour what changes do I need to make. Kindly reply asap. Btw the 🧁🧁🧁 are eye catching 🙂
Hey, I’m having to isolate and I only got medium eggs. How would I go about that?
Thanks. X
You can use 4 medium eggs and 200g butter/sugar/flour or 3 medium eggs and 150g sugar/butter/flour like my other cupcakes x
Hi Jane,
I’m going to give these a go next week but wondered do you know if the salted Carmel buttercream would colour? I was planning on doing Christmas themed cakes so would like the butter cream to be red and green.
TIA
The colour is definitely not the best starting colour, obviously, but it should still colour – as long as you used very good quality colours, and maybe tried to lighten it with white first it may help!
Hi Jane,
Is there anyway I can cut this recipe to say 4 buns, as I’ve to make a mix box of cupcakes for school.
Yes – just use 1/3 of the recipe! x
I made your homemade caramel sauce yesterday, is this something I could use in these cakes ?
Thanks
Yes!!
Hi Jane,
Would it be possible to bake this as a 2 layer cake? If so what size tin would you reccomend?
Thanks!
I usually say one batch of cupcakes makes one decent 8″ cake, so I would double it for a two layer 8″ cake!
Is there a reason you use butter in this recipe rather than baking block or butter?
Hello – sorry I’m confused – I do use butter in the recipe?
Hi Jane, I’m looking to bake these cupcakes for a charity bake sale im holding. Would I be able to freeze them once baked and if so would you advise filing the cupcakes with the caramel before freezing or after they have thawed? Looking to get as fresh as possible for the day. Another option is for me to bake them on a Friday evening and the bake sale is on the Sunday? Any avice is fully appreciated 😊 thank you x
If freezing I would freeze without filling – as it just makes sure they will be okay – but Friday evening for a Sunday bake sale is definitely fine!! X
Made these tonight, they are super tasty but adding the salt if the caramel isnt salted step is missing so I forgot it! But as caramel cupcakes they are tasty.
Hi Jane! This recipe looks wonderful 🙂 For the cupcake batter, would you have to use butter or can you use a butter substitute like clover or willow? Thank you
For the actual sponge you can use block butter or a spread!! x
Could i use salted caramel flavouring for the icing sugar? rather than caramel
Yes!!
Hi, I absolutely love making your recipes I’m inspired by them so much! I was wondering if you could use salted butter for the buttercream with the caramel sauce instead of adding salt to the caramel or would they end up to salty?
Thank you xx
Hey! So this could very much depend on the butter as I find some are more salty than others – but it should work! X
Made these as a treat for the family during lockdown and they went down a treat. The only complaint was that I hadn’t made enough of them! Thanks for an easy to follow, delicious recipe
Hi Jane,
I made these cupcakes about a month ago and they were gone within hours of me taking them to work! My boss has now asked me to make him some for his son’s birthday party but I am away the day of the party and for 2 days before that. Do you think they would still be OK if I make them on a Wednesday night and kept them in an airtight container until Saturday?
Thanks for all of the amazing recipes 💖
Hiya! Yes If you made them on Wednesday, and kept them in a cake box so that they don’t sweat, and away from the fridge so they don’t dry out, they’d be fine! x
Hi Jane! May i ask how long you have to bake the cupcakes for
It’s in the method on step 3.
I made these for work today and they were delicious! Everyone raved about them- I even had an anonymous note saying they were “blooming lovely!” I made my own caramel using this recipe https://www.nigella.com/recipes/salted-caramel-sauce which is super easy, though you need to make several hours ahead and chill for it to set.
Hi Jane can I freeze the cupcake mix. Need to make 2 lots one this weekend then some in a few weeks thought I would mix up all at once
I personally always think fresh is best to be honest – if you are practiced in doing it, then go ahead… but I never freeze raw mix!
Do you put Baking Powder in the cupcake batter?
No, the recipe is correct as it is.
This looks like a lovely recipe! I was wondering if the cupcakes freeze well?
They freeze wonderfully!
Hi Jane
I was wondering if I could add the caramel inside the cupcake mixture before baking it instead of cutting a hole and adding it as a centre filling
Would that work? X
Personally I don’t think it would be as tasty – it might all sink to the bottom or disappear through baking – but its worth a try if you want to! x
Hi! I absolutely love your recipes make them all the time 🙂
Please could you tell me what sort of nozzle you use to achieve this type of piping?
Thank you!!
I use a Medium 2D closed piping tip x
I know this is an old recipe but I had loads of caramel to use up last night so found this recipe and made these! Oh my god they were amazing, so golden and springy the perfect cupcake and the buttercream was too good! Can’t recommend these enough! 🙂 Also it’s so nice to find a really good English so there’s no conversions involved! 🙂
How do you make the caramel plz x
You buy it in the tin already made. x
These look great! Is there anyway they could be adapted so the sponge was like a sticky toffee pudding flavour? Thinking ahead for Macmillan Coffee morning
These have become a real staple for family events, such a great recipe – keep up the good work Jane!
Made these for a baby shower and they went down a treat. These are devise and easy receive to follow. I found I had quite a bit of buttercream left over and didn’t need to use all the milk. They are so good I’ve made them again!
Hi Jane, I was just wondering how long it takes to make 12 of these cupcakes ?
Depends on your skill set… an hour not including cooling time maybe?
Oh okay thank you Jane (:
Hi Jane, came across your pin as im looking for cupcakes recipe & attracted to this caramel. Btw the caramel is bgt off the rack or home-made? I like that you are working on grams so im yr follower now ?
Thank you.
I used carnations caramel from the supermarket ?
Hi Jane, thankyou for this recipe, I have made these many times now and they always go down a treat. Enough so that my friend has asked me to make 80 for her wedding! What do you think is the most in advance I can make them and still be at their best? Thankyou, sinead xxx
Amazing! With Cupcakes unfortunately I’d say they only really last 2-3days… so ideally you want to bake them the day before, but if you’re too squeezed for time the day before that is fine as you’ll be eating them on the 3rd day if that makes sense? Store them in cupcake boxes though and not an airtight container xx
[…] used the cupcake and buttercream recipe straight from Jane’s Patisserie here, and it’s so easy to follow! The recipe makes about 22, with some buttercream left over. […]
Sorry- I meant to say same not sane!?
Hi Jane! These look fantastic! Can I ask a really stupid question? How small do you need to cut the hole? Is it the sane as for a butterfly cake maybe? Thank you!
Yeah basically the same – just a smallish hole to put the caramel in!
Thank you!
Do you know these measurements in the United States customary units?
No sorry, I only work in grams.
Just finished making these for my mums birthday as she loves salted caramel so much! This recipe was so easy to follow & the cupcakes turned out looking great! Can’t wait to try tomorrow, thanks for posting this! 🙂 X
Oh thats amazing! 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed them and I hope your mum loves them too!! x
These salted caramel cupcakes look scrumptious! Must be a little bite of heaven.
Ohh thank you Julie!! They were rather delicious I must say! xx
Oh my goodness! I seem to be bookmarking all your recipes! Haha.
Hahaha thank you! That’s no bad thing 😉 Hehe!