The Best Small Batch Caramel-Filled Cupcakes
I am absolutely obsessed with these small batch caramel-filled cupcakes! They are made up of buttermilk cupcakes, homemade salted caramel filling, and fluffy caramel buttercream for a rich and decadent dessert. This recipe makes just 6 servings for gourmet cupcakes at home. They are soft, moist, and amazing for any caramel lover!
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Standard cupcake pan
- Paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 80 grams all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt I use Diamond
- 60 grams unsalted butter softened (¼ cup)
- 75 grams granulated sugar (6 Tablespoons)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 80 milliliters buttermilk (⅓ cup)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 60 milliliters small batch caramel sauce or store-bought, more for garnish (3 Tablespoons)
- 1 batch caramel buttercream
- Flaky salt for garnish
Instructions
Bake the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper liners. Then, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through to make sure there are no streaks. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the buttermilk and neutral oil. Mix just until the batter comes together and there are no more streaks of flour. Don't overmix because it can make the cupcakes dense!
- Using a cupcake scoop, evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a paring knife to cut a cone in the center of each cupcake, but don't cut all the way to the bottom. Enjoy the scraps! Then, fill the cupcakes with 1-1 ½ teaspoons of the caramel sauce, leaving a little space at the top.
- Next, fit a piping bag with a decorative tip and transfer the caramel buttercream (or frosting of choice) to the piping bag. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes and drizzle extra caramel sauce on top. Right before serving, sprinkle each cupcake with a pinch of flaky salt. Enjoy right away, or store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Notes
With small batch baking, it's important to weight the ingredients with a scale instead of measuring cups. Even just a little extra flour can completely derail the recipe. But, if you don't have a scale, here's how to measure the flour. First, fluff it with a whisk. Spoon the fluffed flour into the measuring spoon and level it off without packing it in.
I used Diamond Kosher salt when I was testing this recipe. If you use Morton's, halve the amount of salt.
For high-altitude (around 4,500 feet), use half the amount of baking powder.
If you are using store-bought caramel sauce, make sure you're using something thick and made with good-quality ingredients!
Try topping the cupcakes with my small batch vanilla buttercream or my small batch cream cheese frosting instead.
Usually, I do not like to refrigerate cupcakes, because the cake dries out faster. But, since this recipe has heavy cream, you will need to keep them chilled. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 185mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 0gSugar: 42gCalcium: 67mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!