Salted Caramel Cupcakes – Deliciously moist and fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with a silky cloud of Swiss meringue caramel buttercream, and filled and drizzled with salted caramel!
Remember that dreamy Salted Caramel Sauce recipe I brought you guys the other week? Well, today I bring you a recipe using it – Salted Caramel Cupcakes!
These salted caramel cupcakes are SO moist and fluffy, infused with vanilla, and filled with indulgent homemade salted caramel sauce. I’ve topped them off with some gorgeous Swiss meringue buttercream that I’ve flavoured with more caramel and a little vanilla extract.
And I just couldn’t resist drizzling even more caramel on top.
These are the perfect salted caramel filled cupcakes for all you caramel lovers out there!
How to make Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients you’ll need:
- cake flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- large eggs
- caster/granulated sugar
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
- Greek-style yogurt
- salted caramel sauce
For the frosting:
- large egg whites
- caster/granulated sugar
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
To make these cupcakes, Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the eggs. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined. Add the butter, vanilla, and yogurt, and whisk until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases, filling only 2/3 full.
Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a cupcake corer or knife, scoop out the centres of the cooled cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes with the salted caramel sauce.
For the Swiss meringue buttercream, I have very detailed instructions below in my printable recipe card. 🙂
How long will these cupcakes last? Cupcakes can be stored, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Cover the frosting, and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Can I freeze these cupcakes? Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Try these delicious cupcakes next!
- Banana Caramel Cupcakes
- Margarita Cupcakes
- Funfetti Cupcakes
- Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Craving more sweet treats? Subscribe to my newsletter to receive recipe updates straight to your inbox. You can also keep up to date on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (190g) cake flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) caster/granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) Greek-style yogurt
- Homemade salted caramel sauce, to fill cupcakes and drizzle on top
For the Frosting
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup (200g) caster/granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (80g) homemade salted caramel sauce
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cases, and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined. Add the butter, vanilla, and yogurt, and whisk until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases, filling only 2/3 full.
- Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Using a cupcake corer or knife, scoop out the centres of the cooled cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes with the salted caramel sauce, leaving some to drizzle on top.
For the Frosting
- In the heat-proof bowl of your stand mixer over a pan of simmering water, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk constantly until the mixture is warm to the touch and all the sugar has dissolved (should not feel gritty between your fingers) – about 5 minutes.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk for 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool.
- With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add the butter, piece by piece, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, whisk in the vanilla, and salted caramel sauce. Whisk until silky and smooth.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and frost the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle with the extra salted caramel.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These cupcakes are great, I made them exactly according to your recipe and they’re super flavorful and dense! One note on the frosting though, I think that you need to add an edit about getting the egg white and sugar mixture to 160 degrees. Timing is really not the most important factor when making meringue buttercream whereas temperature of the egg whites is crucial.
Maybe we don’t have the right tastebuds but these were just okay. The homemade salted caramel recipe that you provide was amazing but we found the cake a bit dry and the frosting too airy for our taste.
Hi! I’m glad you enjoyed the homemade caramel 🙂 Cupcakes can dry up pretty quickly if even slightly overbaked. Cupcakes are done when a light touch to the tops springs back. For the frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream isn’t for everyone, so you might want to use American buttercream instead.
Hi! I cannot wait to try these! I don’t have a stand mixer though, will an electric hand mixer work? Thanks!
Yes, of course! Enjoy 🙂
These cupcakes are delightful although my meringue didn’t go to plan and was runny. Looking at the link left for another lady, my butter was too soft and I think that was the issue! Could you not add the butter and just use the meringue mix ontop of the cupcakes? This topping however was too sweet for me. I will use the cupcake mix again with a plain topping. Thank you for sharing
You can certainly top cupcakes with just the meringue (omitting the butter)! Let me know if you try it this way 🙂
Hi, my salted caramel has been in the fridge for two days now and has thickened up. I wanted to use it again to fill up cupcakes. How would I get it back to a thinner consistency so I can pipe in to the cupcakes? Thanks.
You can heat it up in the microwave, stirring every few seconds, until it’s reached desired consistency.
Making these for a birthday party this weekend, very excited! Question on the frosting… can I make it a day or two in advance and just store until ready to use the day I frost the cupcakes. Party is Saturday and trying to split up all the work. Tonight Frosting and Caramel sauce and tomorrow cupcakes and other party food items. Thanks in advance, love your recipes and really appreciate the time you take with your tips and clear explanations!
Hi Laura – thank you so much, I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! Yes, the frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. It may need whipping again for a few minutes until silky smooth. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello! Aren’t caster and granulated sugar different? Wouldn’t the measurements vary slightly? Just checking! Thanks, can’t wait to make!
Hi Alicia! I state both sugars just in case you don’t have one of them, but both are perfectly good for baking with. Caster sugar is the more popular sugar to bake with here in the UK, whereas in the US, they tend to use granulated sugar. Measurements should be about the same, with hardly any difference to the final product. Happy Baking! 🙂
Hi! I have a question. Did you use plain Greek yogurt or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt in your recipe?
I use plain Greek yogurt.
Hi Marsha! I tried to make this last night and my frosting didn’t quite turn out, it didn’t set and was very runny. I had to put it in the fridge to let it set up a bit but then it turned grainy. Any suggestions? I made sure to dissolve all the sugar (not grainy when I took it off the heat).
Hi Annie! I’m sorry the frosting didn’t turn out quite right. Here’s a complete guide to Swiss meringue buttercream, that covers all issues too – https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Hi! I know your comment is a year old but I had the same issue and I added 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar and that did the trick for me!
HI Marsha, this recipe was amazing, especially the cupcake itself it turned out to light and fluffy! i do wonder if you have a chocolate variation for this recipe as well for the cupcake portion.
Hi Rachael! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I do have a chocolate cupcake recipe you could use 🙂 – https://simplybakeblog.com/double-chocolate-cupcakes/
is the batter supposed to be thicker?
This cupcake batter is quite thick, and not too runny.
I should have read this. I ended up putting half a cup of milk. Made it less thick but still came out perfect.
The cake is a little too sweet for me
These look so fabulous! Could you tell how much this frosting makes? I’m looking to frost two 8 inch cakes.
Hi Rebecca! Yes, this should make enough to frost a 2 layer 8-inch cake. Just to be sure though, I would use 4 large egg whites, and 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) of butter. Keep everything else the same. Enjoy!
Hooooly cow. I’m dying looking at these beauties. I’m an avowed caramel lover and that that drizzle on top is making me swoon!
Thanks, Kelsie!
Oh Marsha, I just KNEW you’d do something truly amazing with that droolworthy caramel sauce you posted last week… and I was so right! These cupcakes couldn’t look more enticing. The frosting, the caramel, the cupcake… it all looks amazing! Drooling and pinning. Hope you’re having an amazing week so far! xox
Thanks, Demeter! 🙂 xo
This looks wonderful and decadent. Yum!
Thanks, Julie!
These look so delicious, I wish I had a plate full of these right now. Yum!
Oh my! These look scrumptious! Yum
Thanks, Suzy!
These look amazing! The center, the drizzle on top, everything; yummy! They’re almost too beautiful to eat, almost!
Thanks, Luci!
These are so pretty and look delicious! I’m definitely drooling…..
Thanks, Brandi!