Ultimate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

By vealam

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• a large pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Salted Caramel Sauce
• 1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Salted Caramel Sauce:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you have it.)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (I like using the flaky kind)
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream (makes 10 cups):
• 10 large, fresh egg whites (300 g)
• 2-1/2 cups (500 g) sugar
• 3 cups (680 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20 ml) pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from the-baker-chick.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with liners, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, mix in vanilla.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the bowl- don't over mix the batter.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pan. Let cupcakes cool completely.
Use a paring knife to core a small little but out of each cupcake and fill with a small dollop of caramel.
Swirl 2 tablespoons of caramel into the frosting and pipe or spread onto cupcakes. Drizzle with remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt.

Salted Caramel Sauce:
Before you begin, get all your ingredients ready and have them waiting near your stove-top.
Place a heavy-bottomed 2 or 3 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat and sprinkle about a tablespoon of the sugar into the bottom.
Lift the pan over the heat and shake/swirl the sugar until it starts to melt. Continue swirling the pan around until the sugar is all clump-free and melted.
Sprinkle some more sugar on top and repeat the "swirl and shake" over the heat until the new sugar is incorporated and melted into the first batch. (The sugar will start to caramelize at this point which is why you want to lift if off the heat, preventing it from burning.)
Repeat the previous step with the remaining sugar, sprinkling a little at a time until it is all melted and a dark amber color.
Add the butter and whisk until totally melted and combined.
Remove from heat and slowly stream the cream into the caramel. (It may seize up and foam a bit!) Whisk it rapidly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and sea salt.
Pour caramel in a glass jar or measuring cup and allow to cool. It will last in the fridge for up to a month in an air-tight container.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
Add additional flavours, purees, as desired.

Notes for Buttercream:
*Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

**Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. To thaw, place on counter overnight, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.

***If buttercream still doesn't have its satiny finish after rewhipping, microwave 1/3 of the buttercream for approximately 10 seconds and add to remaining buttercream in mixer bowl, beating for a few moments to incorporate.