Description
Scrumptious caramel cupcakes with vanilla cream bring classic dessert charm to home baking. Rich buttermilk batter and silky frosting deliver sweet comfort you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- ½ cup (113 g) mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Extra caramel sauce (for drizzling)
- A sprinkle of sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Butter Transformation: Cream softened butter with brown and granulated sugars until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Liquid Integration: Whisk eggs, vanilla essence, and caramel sauce into the butter mixture until completely smooth and glossy.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift together flour, leavening agents, and salt in a separate bowl, eliminating any potential lumps.
- Batter Creation: Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with buttermilk to achieve a silky, well-incorporated batter.
- Baking Process: Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a testing probe comes out clean and cupcakes rise beautifully.
- Cooling Stage: Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
- Frosting Preparation: Whip chilled heavy cream in a cold bowl until soft peaks form, then fold in mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to create a luxurious cream frosting.
- Final Embellishment: Pipe or spread vanilla cream frosting on cooled cupcakes, then elegantly drizzle with additional caramel sauce and sprinkle a delicate touch of sea salt for a gourmet flavor profile.
Notes
- Choose Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better cupcake texture.
- Prevent Overbeating Batter: Mix ingredients just until combined to avoid tough, dense cupcakes; overmixing develops excess gluten.
- Check Oven Accuracy: Use an oven thermometer to verify precise temperature, as slight variations can significantly impact cupcake rising and browning.
- Master Caramel Drizzling Technique: Warm caramel sauce slightly and use a small spoon or squeeze bottle for controlled, elegant drizzling over frosted cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg