CUPCAKE

A Salted Caramel lover's dream! A moist vanilla cupcake is filled with the best-salted caramel and topped with a rich caramel buttercream frosting! Adorably decorated for Easter!!

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 ¼ cups sour cream, room temperature
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioner sugar
2 teaspoons cream
½ - 2/3 cups cooled salted caramel
The recipe for the Salted Caramel used as the filling and in the frosting can be found here

Instructions


For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.
Add vanilla, sour cream and almond extract, beating until just combined.
Reduced the mixer speed to low and stir in the flour in several additions. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir the last bit of flour in with a spatula until just combined. Do not over mix.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake in preheated oven for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few clinging crumbs.
Allow cooling completely before icing.
For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar on medium-high speed until combined, then add cream and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Slowly pour caramel into the frosting and beat until combined. Taste as you go! Pipe or spread onto your cooled cupcakes.

For the Nests:

My nests were not edible because the caramel was burnt, but I actually quite liked the color contrast.
Create hollow balls of aluminum foil, gathered at one end to form a “handle”. Place a wire cooling rack over a sheet of aluminum foil. Spray balls liberally with cooking spray.
Combine 2 cups sugar and ½ cup water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring or whisking until sugar dissolves. Cook to a hard crack (310°) over medium-high heat, swirling the pot occasionally then place the pot in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Drizzle caramel over aluminum foil balls. Place the balls on the rack using the “handle” to cool. Gently crush aluminum foil and pull out.

Notes: 

Vanilla cupcake recipe adapted from Layers of Happiness