Salted Caramel Cupcakes!
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Deliciously light and moist salted caramel cupcakes, with a salted caramel centre, a smooth salted caramel buttercream with a caramel drizzle!
Salted caramel bakes
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, i’m sure you guys will love this one!
There is something about the balance of sweetness and the saltiness that is so glorious about salted caramel, and whilst some people think that the flavour is overrated I am just utterly in love with it.
Salted caramel sauce
For this recipe, you can use a shop bought salted caramel sauce, a tin of caramel that you add salt to, or you can make your own homemade caramel sauce – which is easier to make than you think it might be. You can check out my homemade caramel sauce for the recipe and method, but 6 simple ingredients and you have a glorious homemade salted caramel sauce that would work perfectly in these cupcakes.
I use the salted caramel after I have cored out the cupcakes and filled the middle, I use it in the buttercream frosting, and I even drizzle it over the top as I really do go in on this flavour profile.
Cupcake mixture
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.
- Butter – I tend to use a baking spread when it comes to the sponge of a cake as I find it makes a nice and light sponge
- Sugar – I used light brown sugar as it’s a classic and works well for the caramel flavour of the bake
- Flour – self raising as always.. you can make your own though by mixing 2 level tsps of baking powder per 150g of plain flour before using in the recipe
- Eggs – I use medium, so used 4. You can use 3 large eggs.
Buttercream
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!
- Butter – as this is for buttercream, you really do need to use block butter and not a baking spread or margarine, especially because of the added caramel
- Sugar – icing sugar as always!!
- Caramel – the caramel makes the frosting slightly softer, but because of the block butter and if you beat it really well, it’ll still be lovely and thick.
Tips & Tricks
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.
- I used these cupcake cases
- I used these sprinkles
- You can find my homemade caramel sauce recipe here
- These cupcakes will last 3-4+ days at room temperature
- You can freeze the cupcakes for 3+ months
- Recipe updated May 2024 – original recipe buttercream was the same. The cupcakes used to be:
- 175g unsalted butter, sugar and flour, with 3 large eggs and 2tbsp of milk mixed in.
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 200 g unsalted butter/baking spread
- 200 g light brown sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g self raising flour
Filling
- 12 tbsp salted caramel sauce
Buttercream Frosting
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 350 g icing sugar
- 100 g salted caramel sauce
Decoration
- salted caramel sauce
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line a 12 hole muffin tray with large cupcake cases/muffin cases.
- Cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until smooth
- Add in the eggs and self raising flour and beat again until combined
- Split the mixture between the 12 cases
- Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked through, and then leave to cool fully
Filling
- Once fully cooled, core out the middle of the cupcakes with a knife or an upside down piping tip
- Fill with each hole with caramel.
Buttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter on it's own until smooth
- Add the icing sugar and mix until it is combined
- Add the caramel sauce to the buttercream and continue mixing.
Decoration
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes – drizzle with some extra caramel and some sprinkles for a bit of crunch.
Notes
- I used these cupcake cases
- I used these sprinkles
- You can find my homemade caramel sauce recipe here
- These cupcakes will last 3-4+ days at room temperature
- You can freeze the cupcakes for 3+ months
- Recipe updated May 2024 - original recipe buttercream was the same. The cupcakes used to be:
- 175g unsalted butter, sugar and flour, with 3 large eggs and 2tbsp of milk mixed in.
ENJOY!
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J x
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How much does a tablespoon of caramel weigh?! I prefer working in grams and millimetres than spoon sizes. Thank you!
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
Do you have a recipe to make caramel by any chance?
Yes absolutely – take a look at my homemade caramel sauce recipe! 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!!