Salted Caramel Cupcakes                 

 

Makes 14-15 Luscious Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon mexican vanilla

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers and spray with cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

 

Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.

 

Divide batter evenly among lined cups (I use a size 16 (2 oz scooper).  Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

 

 

Salted Caramel Filling:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

 

Directions:

Melt the sugar over medium high heat in a large pot.  Whisk the sugar as it melts and cook until it becomes a deep amber color. Add the butter and stir it in until melted. Pour in the heavy cream (mixture will foam) and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. You may have some lumps but keep stirring until they have melted and add salt.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

 

Cut a small round piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake (use a small circle cookie cutter or opposite end of a frosting tip) and pour in 1 teaspoon of caramel.  Replace the cake piece and set cupcakes aside.

 

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients

Use leftover Caramel from the filling recipe above

1 teaspoon mexican vanilla extract

2 stick unsalted butter 
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 to 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

 

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel and vanilla.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.

Decorate your cupcakes by using an Ateco tip 868 ( This is what I used) or 848.

I used a Wilton squeeze bottle to drizzle the homemade caramel sauce on the top (recipe below).

 

Salted Caramel Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt

Additional sea salt for decoration (optional)

Directions:

1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt.  Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down. Keep cooking until temperature reaches 350 degree. Once temperature reached add butter, once the butter is melted gently pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined.

 

Let caramel mixture set for 10 minutes and use a siphon to pour caramel into squeeze bottle and dispense over cupcakes.

 

Top with course sea salt granules (optional).