Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

chocolate salted caramel cupcakes 8

I totally didn’t plan this.

salted caramel cupcakes 6

One of the many benefits of having a teenage niece across the street are those times she decides she wants to bake – and wants your help. Here I was minding my own business, doing things that were probably productive, possibly healthy and definitely didn’t involve cupcakes, and then there she was, just-baked chocolate cupcakes in hand, wanting to make frosting together.

salted caramel cupcakes 1

(She made red velvet cupcakes too, but that’s another story.)

Her goal: salted caramel on chocolate cupcakes. We made a brown sugar frosting, and the caramel was her idea – her plan was to run to the store to buy caramel sauce to dribble overtop, but I explained that caramel could be made easily out of the sugar we already had in probably less time than it would take to run to the store. We brought sugar to a simmer with a bit of water to help it along – and a drop of lemon juice, which helps caramel stay in its liquid state and not crystallize. We swirled the pan until it turned golden, then drizzled some in a thin stream into cold water to make it turn hard and crackly – fun kitchen science – then whisked in some cream (it foams and bubbles – more delicious science!) which turns it into a sauce you can drizzle over ice cream – or cupcakes.

salted caramel cupcakes 2

Em: That’s it? We made caramel?

Me: Yep.

Em: It’s so good! And so much cheaper!

Indeed.

salted caramel cupcakes 3

Look how lovely!

A piping bag with a star tip and some sugar and a pot, and these beauties can be yours.

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup strong coffee (I mix together instant decaf)
Frosting
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. maple or Roger's golden syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups icing sugar, plus extra if needed
1-2 Tbsp. milk or cream
Salted Caramel
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 tsp. sea salt

1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar and cocoa.

3

Add the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine; add the coffee and stir until well blended and smooth.

4

Divide the batter among the cups and bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are springy to the touch. Tip the cupcakes in their tins to allow the steam to escape.

5

To make the frosting, beat the butter, brown sugar, syrup and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar and milk or cream, adding extra sugar or milk if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spoon into a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe over the cooled cupcakes.

6

To make the caramel, stir together the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and swirl the pan often, cooking until it starts to turn golden. When it starts to change colour don't leave the pan - swirl it often until it turns a deep golden - the colour of maple syrup. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream - it will foam up. Whisk in the salt and let cool to room temperature - it can be slightly warm, but not so warm that it will melt the icing.

7

Dribble over the cupcakes.

Category

Ingredients

Cupcakes
 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
 1 cup packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup cocoa
 1 tsp. baking powder
 1 tsp. baking soda
 1/2 tsp. salt
 1 cup milk
 1/2 cup canola oil
 2 large eggs
 2 tsp. vanilla
 1 cup strong coffee (I mix together instant decaf)
Frosting
 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 2 Tbsp. maple or Roger's golden syrup
 1 tsp. vanilla
 3 cups icing sugar, plus extra if needed
 1-2 Tbsp. milk or cream
Salted Caramel
 1 cup sugar
 1/4 cup water
 1 tsp. lemon juice
 1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
 1/4 tsp. sea salt
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Share

About Julie

59 comments on “Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes”

  1. Christine
    May 4, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    Ooh. This makes me eager to try salted caramel again. Does the water help it to reach the boiling temperature more quickly? In my past failed attempts, it was just straight up sugar which took forever to get to temperature and then subsequently burned in a matter of seconds. Thanks! 🙂

  2. Medeja
    May 5, 2014 at 4:57 am

    These cupcakes look fantastic! Just irresistible!

  3. Wendy
    May 5, 2014 at 5:04 am

    These cupcakes look soooo delicious! I really like salted caramel chocolates. This recipe has just become a must make and a great way to treat Mom on Mother’s Day.

  4. Julie
    May 5, 2014 at 9:02 am

    Christine – it can be tricky to turn dry sugar into caramel – it goes from sugar to burnt in seconds! The water helps it dissolve first and turn golden more evenly – adding just a small amount means it won’t take as long to cook off before the sugar turns to caramel!

  5. Laurie from Richmond
    May 5, 2014 at 10:48 am

    i love caramel, but I don’t like salt in it. I’d make them without salt, just caramel glaze. It’s really yummy
    🙂

  6. Julie
    May 5, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    Laurie – you can totally do that! No need for salt. Although a tiny pinch does keep it from tasting flat…

  7. Anita
    May 5, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    Looks delish! I will make them this week! Thanks!

  8. Suki F
    May 5, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    Sounds delicious! Chocolate sounds amazing! But that photo with the red velvet ones got me thinking about how much I would love to do some like that.

  9. Anonymous
    May 6, 2014 at 7:52 am

    Love your baking stories!!!

  10. Nicole Boyhouse
    May 6, 2014 at 8:38 am

    Lemon juice! Good tip!

  11. Aimee
    May 8, 2014 at 11:09 am

    Julie, you are a genius. I am having friends over today and making the classic brownies, ice cream and caramel sauce. I tried Ina’s caramel sauce which was just boiling sugar and water. My batch crystallized. So I moved onto Canadian Living’s caramel sauce, which was the same method of boiling sugar and water but this time adding the technique of using a pastry brush to brush water along the inside of the pan. Again, my batch crystallized. Then I remembered that you posted about caramel sauce this week and behold….the third try was successful! Yay! Honestly, it was the lemon juice. That secret ingredient kept the caramel sauce from crystallizing and made this recipe super easy to make. Thank you! Thank you! You totally saved that day. If batch number three didn’t work, I was going to have to load two little kids into the car to run to the store for more whipping cream….which running in with two little kids for one item is like poking your eyes out with a pencil. So thank you again!

    • Julie
      May 13, 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Aimee – I’m so glad it worked out! I’m not a fan of brushing the sides of the pan with water to wash off the crystals – adding more water just makes it take longer to cook off and make caramel. The bit of lemon juice works wonders! Yay!

  12. Vivian
    May 15, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    Wow…made these last weekend to rave reviews. I did do the water brush technique but forgot the lemon juice. Still worked okay. Will do the lemon juice next time…and there will be a next time!

  13. michelle
    June 22, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    I am so happy I started following you. I love all of your post and cant wait to start baking again!~!

  14. www.lovely-travel.com
    June 26, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    lovely caramel.. simply wonderful.. i am too imperfect in making caramel at home, i hope this time i don’t repeat the same mistake while making caramel.. 🙂 thanks julie. please keep sharing

  15. try minecraft for free
    September 11, 2014 at 12:16 am

    try minecraft for free 1.6.4

  16. whirlpool cabrio wtw6400sw reviews
    September 11, 2014 at 6:31 am

    whirlpool washer wtw5500sq0

    This means that the author attempts to remain objective inside the treatment with the topic
    and presents an impersonal as opposed to a personal voice inside expression with the ideas.
    I just had to write and be worried about editing later; there’s something about a deadline that moves you along.
    whirlpool cabrio wtw6400sw reviews whirlpool duet epinions A well calm as well as relaxed mental
    faculties are crucial for the purpose of creative writing.
    Punctuation has had a very bad time over the last forty years roughly
    but I believe it is about to undergo a revival.

  17. Lorraine
    October 17, 2021 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks for the recipe, Julie! I needed to make a sweet and somehow was out of white sugar 😀 so brown sugar to the rescue. Your search bar was really helpful. Our brown sugar was so dry and I couldn’t wait so I used a cheese grater to sort it out haha. I felt that the batter was so thin, but the final product is great – much lighter/fluffier than the brownies I was planning to make until I saw we were out of white sugar. I love that you put that it makes 1 serving but would have found it helpful to see that it makes 18 cupcakes — at least that’s what I’ll write down in my notes. Thanks again 🙂

    • Julie
      November 3, 2021 at 7:57 pm

      Sorry, a glitch in the recipe plugin seems to have all the recipes at one serving. Will make note of it!

  18. Kitty Afford
    September 28, 2024 at 6:41 pm

    Hello dinnerwithjulie.com owner, Your posts are always well-formatted and easy to read.

  19. Connor Collins
    October 19, 2024 at 6:30 pm

    To the dinnerwithjulie.com administrator, Your posts are always informative and well-explained.

  20. Mae
    November 16, 2024 at 6:49 pm

    Hello dinnerwithjulie.com webmaster, Your posts are always well-received by the community.

  21. cheapest cialis viagra
    June 9, 2025 at 6:31 am

    This is the compassionate of literature I in fact appreciate.

  22. This is the kind of content I have reading.

  23. mywpn
    June 12, 2025 at 7:56 pm

    order azithromycin 250mg online cheap – order ofloxacin generic order metronidazole 400mg without prescription

  24. d4d7w
    June 14, 2025 at 7:59 am

    semaglutide 14mg pills – periactin 4mg for sale purchase cyproheptadine for sale

  25. 22rjx
    June 16, 2025 at 7:18 am

    purchase motilium pill – tetracycline 500mg pills order flexeril 15mg online

  26. ki78b
    June 25, 2025 at 8:21 am

    buy augmentin generic – atbio info order ampicillin generic

  27. wza8z
    June 27, 2025 at 12:54 am

    esomeprazole 20mg pill – https://anexamate.com/ esomeprazole 20mg over the counter

  28. fxulf
    June 28, 2025 at 10:27 am

    purchase medex pills – anticoagulant order cozaar 25mg generic

  29. okczn
    June 30, 2025 at 8:05 am

    meloxicam 15mg pills – https://moboxsin.com/ meloxicam pill

  30. dnwcv
    July 2, 2025 at 5:18 am

    prednisone 40mg usa – aprep lson prednisone generic

  31. u7hw6
    July 3, 2025 at 8:14 am

    top rated ed pills – fast ed to take site best ed medications

  32. 4y86k
    July 4, 2025 at 6:38 pm

    buy amoxicillin pill – combamoxi amoxicillin pills

  33. w629l
    July 10, 2025 at 4:01 am

    how to get diflucan without a prescription – this brand fluconazole 100mg

  34. rj7fe
    July 11, 2025 at 4:18 pm

    order generic cenforce – https://cenforcers.com/ order cenforce online cheap

  35. iuv8z
    July 13, 2025 at 2:09 am

    what happens if a woman takes cialis – https://ciltadgn.com/ generic cialis 5mg

  36. Connievem
    July 14, 2025 at 7:32 pm

    purchase ranitidine pill – oral ranitidine 300mg ranitidine 150mg sale

  37. w2cxc
    July 15, 2025 at 2:22 am

    tadalafil long term usage – https://strongtadafl.com/# cialis mexico

  38. Connievem
    July 17, 2025 at 5:39 am

    Thanks recompense sharing. It’s first quality. cost nolvadex

  39. qfwll
    July 17, 2025 at 6:38 am

    how old do you have to be to buy viagra – strong vpls viagra cheap fast shipping

  40. n9dhu
    July 19, 2025 at 8:00 am

    More peace pieces like this would create the web better. neurontin 800mg tablet

  41. Connievem
    July 19, 2025 at 11:39 pm

    This website absolutely has all of the information and facts I needed to this participant and didn’t positive who to ask. https://ursxdol.com/provigil-gn-pill-cnt/

  42. ay3yp
    July 22, 2025 at 1:43 am

    This is the tolerant of delivery I recoup helpful. https://prohnrg.com/product/priligy-dapoxetine-pills/

  43. 1p9u5
    July 24, 2025 at 2:39 pm

    Thanks recompense sharing. It’s first quality. https://aranitidine.com/fr/lasix_en_ligne_achat/

  44. Connievem
    August 4, 2025 at 4:19 pm

    I couldn’t turn down commenting. Profoundly written! https://ondactone.com/spironolactone/

  45. Connievem
    August 7, 2025 at 1:13 pm

    Thanks on sharing. It’s outstrip quality.
    https://doxycyclinege.com/pro/ondansetron/

  46. Connievem
    August 15, 2025 at 12:27 am

    This is the tolerant of enter I find helpful. http://3ak.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=229026

  47. Connievem
    August 21, 2025 at 7:04 am

    forxiga usa – https://janozin.com/ buy generic dapagliflozin 10mg

  48. Connievem
    August 24, 2025 at 7:05 am

    cost orlistat – https://asacostat.com/# purchase xenical online

  49. Connievem
    August 29, 2025 at 6:43 pm

    With thanks. Loads of conception! http://seafishzone.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=2331375

  50. NwyhHault
    October 7, 2025 at 6:16 pm

    You can protect yourself and your dearest close being wary when buying panacea online. Some pharmacopoeia websites operate legally and offer convenience, reclusion, bring in savings and safeguards for purchasing medicines. buy in TerbinaPharmacy https://terbinafines.com/product/dapoxetine.html dapoxetine

  51. QdcaHault
    October 9, 2025 at 6:04 am

    You can protect yourself and your stock by being cautious when buying prescription online. Some pharmaceutics websites manipulate legally and sell convenience, privacy, bring in savings and safeguards to purchasing medicines. buy in TerbinaPharmacy https://terbinafines.com/product/strattera.html strattera

  52. tpy8h
    October 10, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Palatable blog you possess here.. It’s obdurate to espy high calibre article like yours these days. I justifiably appreciate individuals like you! Withstand vigilance!! buy dilantin pills for sale

  53. BfcuHault
    October 10, 2025 at 10:15 pm

    You can keep yourself and your dearest close being alert when buying panacea online. Some pharmacopoeia websites function legally and offer convenience, solitariness, cost savings and safeguards to purchasing medicines. http://playbigbassrm.com/

  54. big bass free spins
    October 12, 2025 at 10:00 pm

    Thanks on putting this up. It’s well done.

  55. Taylor Kim
    October 8, 2026 at 1:51 pm

    Thanks for sharing this! Really useful perspective. Mimic Party

  56. Sam Rivera
    October 9, 2026 at 1:22 am

    This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks! Dressmaker

  57. Jamie Liu
    October 9, 2026 at 1:53 am

    Solid content. Will definitely come back for more. Star By Face

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.