These luscious caramel filled cupcakes are moist and oozing with gooey homemade caramel! They're topped with indulgent caramel whipped cream.
Cupcakes with caramel filling! What an incredible combination!
If you've never tried vanilla cupcakes with caramel filling before, you really should. They are soooo good!
These salted caramel filled cupcakes are every caramel-lover's dream!
For these cupcakes, I used my homemade salted caramel sauce recipe.
There's nothing quite like homemade caramel sauce. It really makes all the difference.
Everyone who tasted these cupcakes said they were incredible! I think you'll love this easy caramel filled cupcakes recipe, too!
Love caramel desserts? Try my banoffee pie cups, my salted caramel pretzel ice cream, my no bake salted caramel cheesecake, or my 3 ingredient dulce de leche mousse!
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love these caramel filled cupcakes
- What do these vanilla caramel cupcakes taste like?
- WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Ingredients for the vanilla cupcakes
- Ingredients for the salted caramel sauce
- Ingredients for the stabilized caramel whipped cream
- Equipment
- HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL FILLED CUPCAKES
- Step-by-step Instructions
- ASSEMBLE THE DESSERT
- Recipe Notes
- Make-ahead Options
- Storage Tips
- Freezing Instructions
- Variations
- CUPCAKE FILLING IDEAS
- TOP TIPS
- FAQs
- MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
- Recipe
Why you’ll love these caramel filled cupcakes
- They're easy to make. There are quite a few steps involved, but they are really simple to follow.
- You just need a few ingredients. This recipe includes easy-to-find ingredients, most of which you probably already have.
- They're topped with stabilized whipped cream. This means the whipped cream will hold its shape at room temperature for about two hours without melting. After that, you'll need to refrigerate these cupcakes.
- They're not overly sweet. The cupcakes are topped with a delicious homemade caramel whipped cream which is much lighter in flavor and not as sweet as buttercream frosting.
What do these vanilla caramel cupcakes taste like?
What I love the most about these salted caramel cupcakes, is that you can taste the caramel in every single bite. These cupcakes are soft and moist. Inside they have a delicious salted caramel filling that is incredible with the vanilla cupcakes.
The salted caramel filling is to die for! I definitely plan on using this caramel filling for cakes, too, so stay tuned!
The caramel whipped cream frosting on top is also fantastic with these cupcakes because it isn't too sweet, so it lets ALL the caramel flavor shine through.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Ingredients for the vanilla cupcakes
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
- Flour & leaveners: I use all purpose flour and baking powder.
- Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar.
- Egg: I use 1 medium organic egg.
- Buttermilk: I usually make my own buttermilk (aka sour milk) by adding some vinegar to fresh milk.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter room temperature. Instead of unsalted butter, you could use salted butter, if you'd prefer saltier cupcakes.
- Vegetable Oil: This really helps make the cupcakes moist.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
- Salt: I add a pinch of salt to enhance everything, but you could omit it.
Ingredients for the salted caramel sauce
- Sugar: All you need is granulated sugar.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter.
- Heavy cream: You'll need heavy whipping cream.
- Salt: I use regular table salt.
Ingredients for the stabilized caramel whipped cream
- Caramel Sauce: I use my own homemade caramel sauce for the stuffed cupcakes, the topping, and to drizzle over the frosting.
- Heavy cream: You'll need heavy whipping cream.
- Unflavored gelatin & water: I use a little bit of unflavored gelatin powder and water to make the whipped cream stabilized. It really helps the frosting hold its shape. I don't use any powdered sugar for the frosting because of the caramel, but feel free to add some if you'd like a sweeter frosting.
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- deep, heavy saucepan (at least 3 quart/3 liter capacity)
- a 12-cavity cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- a hand mixer or stand mixer
HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL FILLED CUPCAKES
Step-by-step Instructions
This recipe is divided into 4 main steps:
1) making the caramel
2) making the cupcakes
3) coring and filling the cupcakes
4) making the stabilized caramel whipped cream frosting
First, make the caramel filling for cupcakes.
TOP TIP
Before you begin, heat the cream and put it next to your stove together with all the other ingredients, so you can continuously keep an eye on the caramel.
Put the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Make sure it has a capacity of at least 3 quarts (3 liters)! The caramel needs room to bubble up! You don't want it to spill over!
Don't stir or touch the sugar. After about 3 minutes, the sugar will begin to melt around the sides of the saucepan. When you see this, you can lift the pan and swirl it around so that the rest of the sugar starts melting or use a whisk.
When all the sugar melts, whisk or stir it, but watch it carefully.
As soon as it starts bubbling up in the middle, get ready to add some of the cream.
Add about ⅓ of the cream. It will bubble up more. DON'T ADD ALL THE CREAM AT ONCE! You can get burnt.
Keep whisking. You'll notice that it will start to thicken
Add a little more cream and keep whisking.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add the remaining cream.
Whisk everything really well to incorporate the cream. Then add the butter.
While still whisking continuously, add the salt.
Pour the hot caramel into a bowl.
Let the caramel cool completely.
While the caramel cools, make the cupcakes.
Line your cupcake pan with liners.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
In another large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy.
Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well.
Then, add the oil and the buttermilk and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
Finally, add the flour mixture and mix until everything is just combined. You don't want to overmix it.
Fill the liners with batter, a little over halfway full.
Then bake!
Then make the stabilized caramel whipped cream right before assembling and serving the dessert.
Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the water and stir it. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.
In a cold mixing bowl, pour in the heavy cream and beat on medium speed until you get very soft peaks.
Add the salted caramel sauce and beat for about 10 seconds. Taste it to see if you want to add more caramel.
Melt the gelatin and stir it until it's runny and there are no lumps.
With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the gelatin and mix to incorporate it.
Increase the speed to medium and beat until you get firm peaks that hold their shape. Don't overmix.
ASSEMBLE THE DESSERT
First you need to create a small hole in the cupcakes. You can do this with an apple corer or just a small knife to cut a piece out of the middle. If you have a kitchen tool with a flat end on the handle, like a balloon whisk, you could use that to gently press it in the cupcake.
Then you just spoon the caramel in the cupcakes. Make sure to fill to the top at the same level as the surface of the cupcake.
Put the caramel whipped cream in a piping bag with your favorite tip (I use Wilton 1M) and frost the cupcakes.
Drizzle with more caramel sauce.
Recipe Notes
Make-ahead Options
Save time by making the caramel and the cupcakes a day ahead.
Storage Tips
You can keep these cupcakes at room temperature for about two hours. After that, you'll need to refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to about 4 days.
Freezing Instructions
I tend to freeze my cupcakes without the frosting. They can be stored in the freezer for up to about 2 months as long as they are well covered and in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them in the refrigerator before frosting them.
Variations
Here are a few variations for these caramel stuffed cupcakes:
- Make chocolate caramel cupcakes - My moist chocolate cupcakes recipe would be amazing with caramel! Or, you could also make caramel filled cupcakes with chocolate ganache! You can use my ganache recipe from my chocolate drip cake.
- Make salted caramel buttercream frosting - If you like sweeter cupcakes, you could add a few tablespoons of caramel sauce to some buttercream. You can use my recipe for vanilla buttercream frosting from my classic vanilla cupcakes.
CUPCAKE FILLING IDEAS
There are so many ways to fill a cupcake other than caramel! Here are a few more ideas:
- You can add some fresh fruit, like in my strawberry filled cupcakes.
- Nutella, like in my Nutella muffins.
- Biscoff spread (cookie butter).
- Peanut butter.
- Peach jam, mandarin marmalade or strawberry jam.
TOP TIPS
- Chill your bowl before starting. I like to keep it in the freezer while I make the cupcakes. That way, when I pour the cream in it and beat it, it will thicken faster. You can put your beaters in the freezer with the bowl, too.
- Measuring ingredients properly. Using a digital scale to weigh will give you the most accurate results, especially when measuring flour. If you don't have a digital scale, read my post about how to measure flour properly here.
- Baking times vary. Each and every oven is different and baking times may vary. Use a toothpick inserted in the middle to see if they're done. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready.
- Don't overmix the cream. If you beat the whipped cream for too long, it can turn into butter! You want to look for thick peaks that are holding their shape. If the cream looks a bit chunky, it's probably been overmixed.
- Dissolving gelatin. For the stabilized whipped cream, make sure the gelatin has fully dissolved after you microwave it. It should be runny. If not, you'll need to microwave it for another 3 seconds or so to dissolve properly.
- Using stabilized whipped cream. Whenever I make this frosting, I use it immediately, right before the gelatin sets, so that I can pipe it. If it's not used right away, the frosting won't be smooth, it'll will get lumpy. Therefore, I never store stabilized whipped cream for later use.
FAQs
I wait for at least half an hour for the cupcakes to cool completely.
Yes! You can make the caramel and the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead. Then you can fill them right before serving.
The easiest way for me is to core the cupcakes first and then just spoon the filling into them. You could also just use a special filling tip (like the Wilton Bismark) to fill cupcakes without making a hole in them.
These cupcakes will last for up to about 4 days in the fridge.
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Let me know how these caramel filled cupcakes turn out for you in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!
Recipe
Caramel Filled Cupcakes
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- deep, heavy saucepan (at least 3 quart/3 liter capacity)
- a 12-cavity cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- hand mixer (or stand mixer)
Ingredients
For the salted caramel
- 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (375ml / 12 fl oz) heavy whipping cream
- 90g (6 tablespoons / 3oz) unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ teaspoon table salt (or more to taste)
For the cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (155g / 5.5oz) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (57 g / 2oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 medium egg, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup (125ml / 4.4 fl oz) buttermilk (or regular milk mixed with ½ tablespoon of vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons light vegetable oil
For the stabilized caramel whipped cream
- ¾ cup (200ml) heavy whipping cream with at least 36% milk fat, cold
- ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 4 tablespoons caramel (from above) (+ more for drizzling)
- ¼ cup (28 g / 1 oz) powdered sugar (optional for a sweeter frosting)
Instructions
Make the salted caramel
- Heat the heavy whipping cream (1 ½ cups), but don't boil it. Place it close to the stove with the remaining ingredients.
- Place the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Don't stir the sugar. After about 3 minutes or so, the sugar will begin to melt around the sides. Use a whisk or a spatula to stir the sugar so it all melts.
- When it starts to bubble in the middle, add ⅓ of the cream and whisk the mixture continuously. DO NOT ADD ALL THE CREAM AT ONCE (to avoid getting burnt)! It will bubble up and steam, but just keep whisking it. Then add a little more cream and continue whisking.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and add the remaining cream. Whisk until it’s well combined.
- Add the butter and keep whisking to fully incorporate everything.
- Finally, add the salt and whisk again. Let it cool for a few minutes and then taste it to see if you want to add more salt.
- Pour the caramel into a bowl to cool.
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 175℃.
- Line the cupcake pan with liners. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well. Then add the buttermilk and oil and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Don't overmix.
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter, a little over halfway full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- When done, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the stabilized caramel whipped cram
- Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the cold water and stir. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken. Set aside.
- In a cold mixing bowl, pour in the cold heavy cream (¾ cup), and the powdered sugar (if using) and beat on medium speed until you get very soft peaks.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the caramel sauce and beat for about 10 seconds. Taste to see if you want to add more caramel.
- Melt the gelatin for about 5 seconds in the microwave. Stir it until it's runny and there are no lumps. If you don't have a microwave, put the bowl with the gelatin over another bowl filled with hot water, stirring continuously until the gelatin dissolves and is runny.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the gelatin and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium and beat until you get firm peaks that hold their shape. Don't overmix, or it will get chunky and turn into butter.
- Fill a pastry bag with the caramel whipped cream and your favorite tip (I use Wilton 1M).
Assemble & Decorate
- Cut a piece from the middle of each cupcake (about 1 inch) using an apple corer or a small knife.
- Fill each cupcake with caramel, about 1- 1½ tablespoons each. Fill all the way to the top at the same level as the surface of the cupcake.
- Pipe swirls of caramel frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Drizzle more caramel sauce on top.
- Enjoy!
Tim
I love caramel and would like to see more of your recipes.
Voula
Hi, Tim! Let me know if you try a recipe! I'd love to hear how it goes!