1 Hour Caramel Cupcake Recipe

Perfect Buttermilk Caramel Cupcakes in 1-Hour

These perfect little buttermilk caramel cupcakes are the kind of thing that you can have a hankering for at 3pm and be eating by 4pm. It’s one of those quick, no fail recipes that I find myself coming back to over and over again because the cupcakes are just so deliciously accessible. Using ingredients most of us have in our cupboards or pantries this recipe will give you soft, perfect little golden cupcakes and an addictive caramel frosting in about an hour.

Also… there’s caramel frosting dripping down the sides. Who can resist a cupcake with caramel frosting dripping down the sides??? Not this girl. Not ever.

Most of us have a couple of recipes like this in our back pocket. That perfect thing that can be whipped up at a moment’s notice for no other reason than you suddenly have a craving and you probably have all the ingredients on hand.

That cake (perfect Devil’s Food), or cookie (Giant Chewy Oatmeal Raisin), or brownie (Sheet Pan Frosted Brownies), that shows up at every birthday party, potluck, and backyard BBQ because it’s a surefire hit with everyone, always.

No frills. Unfussy. Simple. Always delicious.

That’s what these buttermilk caramel cupcakes are.

The cupcake batter takes about 15 minutes to make and about 20 minutes to bake. Whip up the frosting in about 10 minutes, no spreading, piping, or decorating required (except maybe some sprinkles because sprinkles are awesome).

Simply pour the caramel frosting over the top of the buttermilk cupcakes while it’s still warm, letting it drip deliciously down the sides, all excessively self-indulgent like.

And then, there’s nothing left to do but eat.

Tips for baking perfect cupcakes

Use room temperature ingredients.

At room temperature, eggs and dairy form a creamy emulsion that traps air. This is a good thing because all that trapped air expands in the oven, giving you light, fluffy cupcakes. Also, room temperature ingredients mix together better.

Creaming the butter and sugar (beating them with an electric mixer until light and creamy) is impossible if the butter is cold. Same goes for the eggs – if they are added to the cupcake batter straight from the refrigerator, they just won’t incorporate well. 

***Here’s how to bring eggs, butter, and buttermilk to room temperature quickly!***

The whole point of these cupcakes is that you can whip them up when the urge strikes. No one wants to wait an hour or two for the butter, eggs, and buttermilk to come to room temperature.

Eggs: Put them in a bowl and cover them with very warm water – the temperature you’d want if you were the one taking a bath. Let them soak in their warm bath for about 10 minutes and you should be good to go. 🙌

Butter: Cut the butter into 1-2 tablespoon sized pieces and plop them into a bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 20 seconds. Push your finger into one of the pieces to judge how soft it is and microwave (at 50% power) a bit longer if necessary. 🤛

Buttermilk: You might be tempted to do the same thing with the buttermilk as you did with the butter – microwave it for a bit. That’s a mistake, because microwaves tend to heats liquids unevenly and buttermilk separates when heated (that’s how you make ricotta cheese).

Instead, pour it into a tall glass, large measuring cup, or jar and place it into a warm bath just like you did for the eggs. Let it sit in there for 5-10 minutes, stirring every minute or two so that it warms evenly. 👏

Salt is your friend.

I am a firm believer in using a generous amount of salt in sweet treats. Salt brings out the flavor of food – helping you taste nuances that your tongue might not pick up on otherwise. Think about how bland tasting the base ingredients for these cupcakes are on their own – unsalted butter, eggs, flour. I mean… 

Would you make scrambled eggs without salt? Put unsalted butter on your dinner roll? Make the coating for fried chicken without a generous measure of salt?

Add just a bit of salt to eggs, butter, or flour and suddenly they have flavor. It’s kinda magical. You don’t need a ton of salt in sweet treats like cupcakes. But, I feel you generally need more than most recipes call for.

So, if you think that a full teaspoon of salt is a bit much for cupcake batter, try it anyway. Your cupcakes will not be salty – they’ll just be more flavorful.

The Perfect Oven Temperature for Perfect Cupcakes.

Even when using paper liners, spray your cupcake pan with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle while the caramel frosting is warm.

More Popular Cake Recipes:

• Mini Lime Pound Cakes
• German Chocolate Cupcakes
• The Perfect Spice Cake
• Funfetti Cake or Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cake or Cupcakes
• Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
• Berry Lemon Snack Cake
• Perfect Red Velvet Cake or Cupcakes

Used in this recipe:

• Wilton non-stick cupcake pan
• KitchenAid 6-quart mixer

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.

Happy baking!

Buttermilk Caramel Cupcakes

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Rebecca Blackwell
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 30 cupcakes

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Description

No-fail, perfectly domed buttermilk cupcakes with a tender, buttery crumb, covered in 10-minute caramel icing that drips deliciously down the sides. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and add enough milk to measure 1 1/2 cups. Stir and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

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Ingredients

FOR THE BUTTERMILK CUPCAKES:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 16 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING:

• 12 tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
• 3 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 3 tsp pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. (This recipe makes 30 cupcakes. *See note.)
2. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
3. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 2 of the eggs. Beat on high until completely incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the other 2 eggs plus the egg yolk. Beat on high until the eggs are fully incorporate and the batter is perfectly smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the flour and buttermilk in alternating additions: 1/4 of the flour, 1/3 of the buttermilk, 1/4 of the flour, 1/3 of the buttermilk, 1/4 of the flour, the last of the buttermilk, and the last of the flour. After each addition, mix on low speed just long enough to barely incorporate. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a time or two. After the last addition of flour, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the batter, ensuring all the ingredients have been well combined.
6. Divide the batter between the 30 cupcake cups. (*See note.)
7. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 13-15 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out without any batter on it.
8. Remove from the oven and place the pans on wire racks. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan, set on the wire racks, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

MAKE THE CARAMEL FROSTING:

1. Add the butter, salt, and brown sugar to a medium size saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is just starting to boil. Stir in the milk and bring back to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla with a wire whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the caramel frosting over the cupcakes while it’s still warm.

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Notes

• If you only have one or two cupcake pans, bake the cupcakes in shifts. It can be useful to fill the cupcakes all at once so that you know you’re filling them evenly – just set extra paper liners on the counter top and distribute the batter evenly amongst all 30 cupcakes.
• One reader wrote to tell me that she cut the recipe in half to only make 12 cupcakes, using 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, and only 3/4 cup sugar in the cupcake batter. She said they came out perfectly.

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