This is a great salted caramel cupcake recipe—so simple and so good! The cupcakes are soft and fluffy, and the frosting is rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet and salty.
The best part? You only need a few basic ingredients, and they turn out perfect every time. And to make sure everything goes smoothly, I’ve added my best tips so you get bakery-quality cupcakes at home!
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Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Salted caramel is a game-changer! The mix of buttery caramel with a little sea salt makes the flavor even deeper and more delicious. Caramel has been around for centuries, but adding salt? That took it to a whole new level!
These cupcakes capture that magic—light vanilla cake, velvety caramel, and creamy frosting in every bite.
What do you Need?
Ingredients Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vanilla extract: Adds a delicious vanilla flavor to the cake. You can make it yourself with this vanilla extract recipe or replace it with two teaspoons of vanilla sugar.
- Self-rising flour: No self-rising flour? Use all-purpose flour + 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder per cup.
Ingredients Frosting and Topping
- Cream cheese and Butter: For the best results, make sure they're at room temperature.
Prepare in 4 Easy Steps
- Step 1 Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Spread sugar evenly in a pan and melt over low heat until golden brown. Add butter (carefully—it will bubble!) and stir until smooth. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Mix in sea salt and let it cool.
- Step 2 Bake the Vanilla Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Beat butter until creamy, then mix in sugar. Add the eggs one by one, then vanilla extract. Fold in flour, then milk, until fully mixed. Fill cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Step 3 Make the Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and salted caramel sauce. Mix until creamy and transfer to a piping bag.
- Step 4 Assemble the Cupcakes: Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Drizzle with extra salted caramel sauce. Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
These easy salted caramel cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and topped with a rich, creamy caramel frosting. A perfect sweet-and-salty treat!
Ingredients
Salted Caramel sauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 1½ stick butter, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Vanilla cupcakes
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 4 eggs, size L
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup milk
Frosting
- 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1½ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce
Assembling
- 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Spread the sugar evenly in a pan.2 cups sugar
- Heat the pan on low heat and let the sugar melt until it turns amber-brown.
- Add the butter (be careful, it will bubble). Stir well and turn off the heat.1½ stick butter
- Slowly pour the cream while stirring (it may splash, so be careful).1 cup heavy cream
- Sprinkle the salt on top and mix well.½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Let the caramel sauce cool to room temperature.
Make the Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Place paper cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
- Beat the butter on high speed until creamy, for 3 minutes.2 sticks butter
- Add the sugar and mix for another 2 minutes.1¼ cup sugar
- Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each egg.4 eggs
- Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gently fold in the flour with a spatula.2 cups self-rising flour
- Pour in the milk and fold it in.¼ cup milk
- Divide the batter into the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth.1 cup cream cheese, 2 sticks butter
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and salted caramel sauce.½ cup salted caramel sauce, 1½ cup confectioners sugar
- Mix until smooth and creamy (start on low speed to avoid mess).
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a large round or star tip.
Assemble the Cupcakes
- Place a cooled cupcake in front of you.
- Pipe the frosting on top in a circular motion.
- Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the frosting using a spoon or bottle.3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
Notes
1. Caramel Sauce FAQs
- Can I make the caramel sauce ahead of time? Yes! Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
- How do I prevent the caramel from crystallizing? Stir gently and avoid sudden temperature changes.
- Can I use store-bought caramel? Absolutely! But homemade always tastes the best.
- Room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate: Store for up to a week.
- Freezer: Cupcakes (without frosting) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 611kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 6gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 376mgFiber: 1gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 1300IUVitamin C: 0.1mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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