Salted Caramel Cupcakes

With a rich brownie-like cupcake, smooth caramel filling, and a decadent from-scratch salted caramel frosting, these Salted Caramel Cupcakes will quickly become your new favorite treat.

I recently heard someone mention her aversion to the salted caramel “trend.” Maybe it is, in fact, just a trend or a fad, I will say that I am 100 percent in favor of it. I’m a huge fan of the combination of salty and sweet, especially when it’s delivered to me in cupcake form.

These particular Salted Caramel Cupcakes are an amalgamation of a few of my favorite recipes. The cupcake itself is the same one I use for my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes and my Triple Chocolate Cupcakes. While it’s wonderfully moist and tender, it also forms a slightly chewy top that’s reminiscent of a brownie. The filling is the recipe I used to top my popular Salted Caramel Cookie Bars, and the frosting can be found on my Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes.

Basically, I took a bunch of separate tried-and-true recipes and combined them into one super recipe. The result is perfectly satisfying Salted Caramel Cupcakes that just might be enough to convert even the most reluctant salted caramel eaters.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• box devil’s food cake mix
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling

• 1 bag individually wrapped caramel squares
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Frosting

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, the flour, and the sugar. Next, add the vegetable oil, milk, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well-combined; a few small lumps may remain.
2. Once the batter is made, fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake for 16-20 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the Filling

1. As the cupcakes are cooling, make the caramel filling. Unwrap the caramel candies and put them in a medium bowl with the heavy cream. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well after each, until the caramel is melted and a shiny caramel sauce has formed.
2. To fill the cupcakes, begin by using a cupcake-corer or a knife to remove the center of the cupcake. Be careful not to cut to the bottom. Spoon caramel sauce into the center until the hole is nearly full and then replace the chunk you cut out.

For the Frosting

1. Next, make the frosting. Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, constantly, until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture begins to bubble, and three to five minutes. Remove from heat and allow the caramel to cool for five minutes.
2. Pour the slightly cooled caramel into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until the caramel is fluffy, about two to three minutes. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly to combine after each. After all the sugar has been added, mix the frosting for five minutes more. The mixture will be a little thin, so allow it to set up in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Frost the cupcakes. You can spread the frosting on with a knife, or you can pipe it on. To pipe it, add the frosting to a gallon-size zip-top bag. Cut off the corner of the bag and squeeze it to pipe the frosting (if you have piping bags and tips, use those). Sprinkle the cupcakes with sea salt for garnish.

Notes

• This recipe makes approximately 24-26 cupcakes with a small amount of leftover frosting.
• These cupcakes are still uh-mazing without the filling. You can also save time by using a store-bought caramel sauce.
• I recommend storing these cupcakes in the refrigerator, but be sure to give them time to come to room temperature before serving.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

Double Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel Frosting

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Caramel-Stuffed Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

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