Easy Salted Caramel Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting
Fully vanilla cupcakes filled with store-bought salted caramel sauce and topped with mascarpone frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 59 g Sour Cream (room temperature, ¼ cup + ¾ teaspoon)
- 18 g Canola Oil (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 81 g Cake Flour (½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 97 g Granulated Sugar (½ cup MINUS 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 51 g unsalted butter (room temperature, ¼ cup MINUS ½ teaspoon)
- 2 egg whites (room temperature, in separate bowls)
Filling
- 8 spoonfuls Salted Caramel sauce
Frosting
- 46 g Mascarpone
- 38 g Unsalted Butter
- 150 g Powdered Sugar
- 5 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F convection setting (or 350°F standard)
- Measure the sour cream, canola oil and vanilla extract into a bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix the dry ingredients together: cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt
- With the mixer on low, add the room temperature butter in small pieces to the dry ingredient mixer until a sandy texture
- With the mixer on medium, slowly pour in the liquids mixture.
- Add 1 egg white and mix on low until it is fully absorbed, about 1 minute
- Add the second egg white and mix until it is fully absorbed
- Bake for 30 minutes at 325°F convection setting (or 350°F standard), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- Cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before removing from the cupcake pan and then cool completely before frosting (about 1 hour).
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add the mascarpone cheese and the butter and beat for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy in texture
- Gradually add half the powdered sugar, while the mixer continues
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla and pinch of salt and mix
- Then add the second half of the powdered sugar
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, ensuring everything is evenly combined
Assembly
- Ensure the cupcakes are fully cooled!
- Using a piping tip or a spoon- hollow out the center of each cupcake
- Scoop salted caramel into the hole in each cupcake, filling all the way to the top of the cupcake
- Frost the cupcakes
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the cupcakes, moving hand back and forth to create lines of caramel
- Sprinkle kosher salt over cupcakes
- Enjoy!