Easy Salted Caramel Filled Cupcakes

4 from 4 votes

These easy salted caramel filled cupcakes are absolutely perfect for caramel lovers. The cupcakes are brown sugar flavored and are filled with the best salted caramel sauce. They're also topped with a sweet caramel buttercream!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Cool Time10

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 629kcal

Author: Karissa Parrish

Equipment

12-count muffin pan
Mixing Bowls
Electric Stand Mixer
Saucepan
Piping Bag & Tips

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar (make sure it's labeled "pure cane")
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
½ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled for 5 minutes
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk, room temperature

Salted Caramel Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup salted caramel sauce
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Salted Caramel Sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium-heat, add the sugar. Once the sugar starts to melt and clump together, continuously whisk it until completely melted. Allow the melted sugar to sit until it starts to turn amber in color (about 10-15 seconds). Then remove it from the heat.
Add the cubed butter and constantly whisk it until melted. Then add the heavy whipping cream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Then whisk in the salt and vanilla extract.
Pour the hot caramel into a glass bowl, jar, or container and cool completely before using. The caramel will thicken up as it cools down.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Melt your butter in a microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined (be careful not to overmix).
Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full (just under 3 tablespoons of batter) and bake for 13-17 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the centers for doneness and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel Frosting

In an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy (1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, salted caramel sauce, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Increase the speed to high and mix until smooth and creamy (1-2 minutes).

Assemble

Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a piping tip (or a small sharp knife) to carefully cut out the centers. Be careful not to go through the bottom of the cupcake. Fill each cupcake with the salted caramel sauce.
Frost the cupcakes. I placed the frosting in a piping bag and used the Wilton 6B piping tip. Drizzle on extra caramel sauce over the tops of each cupcake if desired.
Keep any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

- Caramel Sauce: Make the caramel sauce first so it has plenty of time to cool before you need it.

- Cupcake Pan: Prep a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.

- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.

- Room Temperature Ingredients: If an ingredient calls to be at room temperature before baking, do it. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture.

- Cupcake Batter: Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full, which is just under 3 tablespoons of batter. I use my #24 cookie scoop to help with this.

- Assembling: Use a piping tip to carefully core out the centers of each cupcake (you could also use a cupcake corer if you have one of those). Then spoon the caramel into each hole.

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