Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Cupcakes 🧁🍯✨
Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 🌾
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder ⚗️
1⁄2 tsp salt 🧂
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened 🧈
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 🍬
2 large eggs 🥚🥚
1 tsp vanilla extract 🍦
1⁄2 cup whole milk 🥛
8 oz cream cheese, softened 🧀
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar 🍬
1 egg yolk 🥚
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract 🍦
1 cup granulated sugar (for caramel sauce) 🍬
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed 🧈
1⁄2 cup heavy cream 🥛
1 tsp sea salt 🧂
Sea salt flakes (for garnish) 🧂
Caramel drizzle 🍯
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with your favorite cupcake liners. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set that aside for now.
2. In a larger bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until it’s light and fluffy—about 2 minutes should do the trick! Then, add the eggs one by one, making sure to beat well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the whole milk, starting and ending with the dry mix. Just remember, don’t overmix!
4. In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese, additional sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is nice and smooth.
5. Now, fill each cupcake liner about 2⁄3 full with the cupcake batter. Then, spoon about 1 tsp of that delicious cream cheese filling right into the center of each cupcake.
6. Bake those beauties in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake (not the filling!) comes out clean. Let them cool completely—you’ll want them at room temperature.
7. While the cupcakes cool, let’s make that caramel sauce! In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar until it turns golden brown, stirring constantly. Add in the cubed butter, stirring until fully melted and combined.
8. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Be careful—it may bubble up a bit! Stir in the sea salt, then remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
9. Drizzle that cooled caramel sauce generously over each cupcake, and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes for that extra zing!
Enjoy these rich, decadent treats!