These yummy Caramel Filled Cupcakes are a caramel lover's dream come true! A lightly spiced cupcake is filled with a scratch made caramel, frosted with a dreamy caramel buttercream, and finished with a rich caramel drizzle. I am SURE these cupcakes will be a hit at your next party!
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Wow, wow, wow, I'm absolutely certain you'll flip for these cupcakes if you're a caramel lover! I mean, they're filled, frosted, and drizzled with a homemade caramel, so what's not to love?!
If making caramel from scratch sounds intimidating to you, don't worry. I'm breaking it down step-by-step in this blog post so you can make it with full confidence!
Why You'll Love These Caramel Filled Cupcakes!
- TONS of caramel flavor
- Filled with an incredible homemade caramel sauce
- The cupcakes themselves are moist, tender, and made in one bowl
- These are a cozy recipe that's great in colder months, but can be made all year!
- Both kids and adults love them, so these are perfect for a birthday or holiday party
Quick Note About Ingredients
*the full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below*
- Oil: I made these caramel cupcakes with an oil based cake to keep them moist and tender.
- Sugar: For the cupcake batter, be sure to use granulated sugar. Don't use powdered or brown sugar.
- Egg: You'll need one large egg for the cupcakes and it's best if you take it out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before you plan on baking so it's room temperature.
- Vanilla: Add a small amount of vanilla extract for a hint of floral sweetness.
- Flour: I only tested this cupcake recipe with all purpose flour. If you want to try gluten free, use a gluten free all purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Baking powder: To give the cupcakes a nice rise, use baking powder. Just check the expiration date before baking!
- Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon in the caramel and in the cupcakes adds a nice warm spice flavor, but it optional.
- Brown sugar: I make my caramel with brown sugar because I like the deeper flavor profile it gives.
- Butter: There's butter in the caramel and the buttercream. I recommend using salted butter to keep the flavors more balanced!
- Milk: You will need milk to thin out the caramel sauce as well as in the buttercream to get the right consistency.
- Powdered sugar: When making an American buttercream, it's best to use powdered sugar rather than granulated so you get a nice smooth texture.
- Caramel: This is used to make the caramel buttercream! You can use store-bought caramel topping or the leftover homemade caramel, both will work.
Step By Step Instructions
Making the Caramel:
STEP ONE: Place brown sugar and water into a heavy bottomed pot and set over medium/low heat. Whisk constantly, and bring to a boil.
STEP TWO: Once the brown sugar is bubbling, add in butter and whisk until smooth. Bring back up to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
STEP THREE: Take the pot off of the heat and pour in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. The mixture will bubble up rapidly, so be careful!
STEP FOUR: Once smooth, return the pot to heat and boil for 3 minutes, then turn the heat off and allow the caramel sauce to cool completely.
Making the Cupcakes:
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with 10 paper liners
STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the oil and sugar.
STEP THREE: Next, add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
STEP FOUR: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Then add them to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until no traces of flour remain.
STEP FIVE: Pour the milk into the batter and again, mix on low until JUST combined.
STEP SIX: Divide the cupcake batter between the paper liners, filling each one ⅔-3/4 of the way full. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Making the Buttercream:
STEP ONE: Once the caramel and cupcakes are fully cooled, you can make the buttercream. In a large mixing bowl use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and caramel sauce until lighter in color.
STEP TWO: Next, add the powdered sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk into the butter/caramel mixture and mix on low until the sugar is just combined. Once fully mixed in, turn the speed up to high and beat for 2 minutes.
*If the caramel buttercream is too thick add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency. Additionally, if the buttercream is too sweet, mix in a little bit of salt until it's right for your taste.
How To Fill and Assemble
STEP ONE: Take a cooled cupcake and use a cupcake corer or sharp knife to cut a hole in the middle of it, making sure NOT to cut through to the bottom. Repeat with each cupcake.
STEP TWO: Use a teaspoon to carefully spoon the caramel into the hole you just made in each cupcake.
STEP THREE: With a piping bag fitted with a large tip, carefully pipe the caramel buttercream on the top of each cupcake, covering the caramel filled hole
STEP FOUR: Decorate as desired, (I did a caramel drizzle and caramel hard candy!) then serve and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: The caramel, cupcakes, and buttercream all benefit from using room temperature ingredients.
- Make the caramel first: Make the caramel first, so that it can cool completely while you bake and cool the cupcakes.
- Keep a close eye on the caramel: You don't want it to burn! Look at the photos (above) and use common sense when making caramel from scratch to prevent it from burning.
- Cool caramel completely before filling: The caramel has to be cooled before filling your cupcakes with it. I like to put it in the fridge, but you can also let it cool to room temperature.
- Don't over mix the cupcake batter: Careful when mixing the cupcake batter, you only want to mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated so the cupcakes don't become tough.
- Watch buttercream consistency: When mixing the caramel topping into the butter, I noticed that it can become quite thick. So you may need to add some milk to thin it out.
Recipe Variations
Gluten free: Substitute the all purpose flour with a gluten free all purpose flour that contains xanthan gum.
Chocolate Cupcakes: Use my recipe for black velvet cupcakes, but fill them with caramel and use the same fluffy caramel buttercream instead!
Top with nuts: Chop up some toasted almonds and sprinkle them on top for a nutty crunch!
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storing:
Store leftover caramel filled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days, but they're best served at room temperature so take out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan on eating them.
Freezing:
I don't suggest freezing filled/frosted cupcakes, but if you'd like to freeze the cupcake base you can. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months, then thaw, fill, frost, and enjoy!
FAQs
It's quite simple really, all you have to do is core the cupcakes, fill with caramel sauce, then pipe your frosting on top and enjoy!
I like to use a cupcake corer, or you can use a really sharp knife.
No! If you don't want to make homemade caramel, you can use store bought caramel topping instead.
If you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, I suggest baking the cupcakes base a day ahead then filling and frosting on the day you want to serve them.
If your cupcakes don't look right, there could be a few reasons.
1. Your oven temperature was too hot and the tops got hard because they over baked.
2. If you over filled the liners they could have over flowed then sank.
3. If your cupcakes a too flat and dense, your baking powder may have been expired so they didn't rise.
More Cupcakes You'll Love
a note on baking in grams...
You may notice that most of my newer recipes are listed in grams instead of cups. That's because it's really the most accurate way to measure and bake exceptional treats every time with little room for error.
While the recipe card does have an option for you to switch from Metric measurements to US measurements, I personally have not tested the switch. I recommend purchasing a $10 scale from Amazon and simplifying your life!
Did you make these caramel filled cupcakes? If so, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below!
Also, follow me on Instagram (@coleinthekitchen), Pinterest, and Facebook, or sign up for emails so you never miss a new recipe!
PrintCaramel Filled Cupcakes
These yummy Caramel Filled Cupcakes are a caramel lover's dream come true! A lightly spiced cupcake is filled with a scratch made caramel, frosted with a dreamy caramel buttercream, and finished with a rich caramel drizzle. I am SURE these cupcakes will be a hit at your next party!
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
FOR THE CARAMEL:
- 110g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 80g salted butter- sliced into tabs
- 50g whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 120g neutral flavored oil (vegetable, canola, avocado)
- 180g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg- room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 170g all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 120g whole milk- room temperature
FOR THE CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM:
- 113g salted butter- room temperature
- 60g caramel sauce (either store-bought or your homemade caramel)
- 215g powdered sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt (taste with ¼ teaspoon then add more as needed)
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
MAKING THE CARAMEL:
- Place brown sugar and water into a medium, heavy bottomed pot and set over medium/low heat. Whisk constantly, then bring to a boil.
- Once the brown sugar is consistently bubbling, add in the tabs of butter and whisk until smooth. Bring back up to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
- Take the pot off of the heat and carefully pour in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. The mixture will bubble up rapidly, so be careful! Whisk it all together.
- Once whisked and smooth, return the pot to heat and boil for 3 minutes, whisking constantly to prevent burning. After three minutes, turn the heat off and allow the caramel sauce to cool completely.
MAKING THE CUPCAKES:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with 10 paper liners
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the oil and sugar.
- Next, add in the egg and vanilla extract to the oil mixture and beat on medium speed until it looks light and fluffy.
- In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until well combined.
- Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until no traces of flour remain.
- Pour the milk into the batter and again, mix on low until JUST combined.
- Carefully divide the cupcake batter between the paper liners, filling each one ⅔-3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Carefully remove the cupcake pan from the oven and turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
MAKING THE BUTTERCREAM:
- Once the caramel and cupcakes are fully cooled, you can make the buttercream. In a large mixing bowl use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and caramel sauce until lighter in color.
- Next, add the powdered sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk into the butter/caramel mixture and mix on low until the sugar is just combined. Once fully mixed in, turn the speed up to high and beat for 2 minutes.
- If the caramel buttercream is too thick add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency. Additionally, if the buttercream is too sweet, mix in a little bit of salt until it's right for your taste.
FILLING AND FROSTING:
- When your cupcakes are cooled, use a cupcake corer or a sharp knife to cut a hole in the middle of each one, taking care NOT to cut through the bottom.
- Fill each hole with some of the homemade caramel
- Transfer the caramel buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip, or use an offset spatula, then spread the frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Decorate as desired, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: The caramel, cupcakes, and buttercream all benefit from using room temperature ingredients.
- Make the caramel first: Make the caramel first, so that it can cool completely while you bake and cool the cupcakes.
- Keep a close eye on the caramel: You don't want it to burn! Look at the photos (above) and use common sense when making caramel from scratch to prevent it from burning.
- Cool caramel completely before filling: The caramel has to be cooled before filling your cupcakes with it. I like to put it in the fridge, but you can also let it cool to room temperature.
- Don't over mix the cupcake batter: Careful when mixing the cupcake batter, you only want to mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated so the cupcakes don't become tough.
- Watch buttercream consistency: When mixing the caramel topping into the butter, I noticed that it can become quite thick. So you may need to add some milk to thin it out.
- Storing: Keep leftover cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. They're best served room temperature.
Keywords: caramel cupcakes, cupcakes filled with caramel, caramel filled cupcakes
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