Salted Caramel Cupcakes... FINALLY!!

Geez Louise! I know it took me forever to make these. They won the poll a loooong time ago, but I've been slacking. Wait a second, that's not true. I wasn't slacking at all. I've been cooking and baking a lot! Just not what I was supposed to be making... Well anyway, here they are, and my bestest cousin in the whole world Stephanie AKA "Boof" helped me make them! The caramel wouldn't "swirl" into the buttercream nicely as it was pictured in the book. I ended up just blending it all the way in and drizzling some on top. And I think I was the only one brave enough to try one with salt. I sprinkled mine (the one in the picture) with some kosher salt. The salt was a delicious addition. It gave it that yummy salty-sweet thing that make chocolate-covered pretzels one of my favorite things in the entire universe. The recipe made 12 and 10 got eaten last night! That's the most that's ever been eaten during Wing Night! One thing though, I think these taste just like the Creme Brulee Cupcakes I made before. Pretty much the same idea... brown sugar cake with caramel buttercream. But the texture was so awesome. Slightly dense, soft, sweet, and moist. This recipe is perfect!

Ingredients That's me putting batter in the pan,
and that's our lunch, pizza bites, in the background!
A full scoop in each... They're ready to be baked!
Cooling
Melting the sugar for the caramel
Still melting...
That's us waiting for it to melt...
Finally, it melted and we added cream.
Our finished product!
Inside shot! You can see how moist and slightly dense it was!

Recipe from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.

MY NOTES: My cupcakes were done at 18 minutes. I reduced the butter in the frosting to 1 1/2 sticks (my usual amount for SMBC with only 3 egg whites). I only used 1/2 of caramel in the frosting.

SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES
MAKES 12 CUPCAKES
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

CARAMEL SWIRL BUTTERCREAM
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
Caramel Drizzle
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Pinch salt

Buttercream
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature (I only used 1 1/2 sticks butter)

For the cupcakes:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugars and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-22 minutes (Mine were done at 18 minutes). Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting:
In a heavy-bottomed, high-sided saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a clean wooden spoon, continue to cook until the sugar is melted and has turned golden amber, about 3 minutes longer.

Carefully pour the cream down the side of the pan in a slow, steady stream (it will bubble and spatter), stirring constantly until completely smooth. Stir in the salt. Pour the caramel into a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely before using. (The caramel can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.)

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes (It always takes about 5 minutes for me). Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and holds stiff peaks (the mixture should not look dry), about 6 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the caramel drizzle (I only added about 1/2 cup) and beat until combined (or almost combined for a swirling effect), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. (The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before finishing.) Top each cupcake with a caramel candy, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, and serve.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5