April 4, 2016
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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Hi, can these be adapted to be gluten free? Many thanks
Hi Jane!
Do you cool these fully in the tin please or remove them and place on a cooling tray? Thank you <3
If they are baked into baking cups I just leave them on the tray, if they are in normal paper cases in a muffin tray I leave them for a small while and then cool them on a rack x
Hi Jane, I would like to make a small batch of these cupcakes. How do you suggest the measurements of the recipe would be done please? Thank you in advance xx
As the batch makes 12, you can use 1/3 of the mix for 4 cupcakes, or 2/3 of the mix for 8 cupcakes x
Hey! How long will these keep in an airtight container ?x
Hi Jane – these look amazing & I’m looking forward to making them! Just wanted to check if 12 TBSP (tablespoons) of caramel is correct for the cupcake filling? This would be 1 tablespoon of filling for the hole in each cake – that seems a lot for a cupcake?
Hiya! It is technically correct as a level tbsp amount can often fit inside a cored out cupcake (or people use a heaped tsp for example) but you can use less of course!! Team Jane x
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!!
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!