Almond Cupcake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Recipe inspired by: allrecipes.com Almond Cupcake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

I was having a caramel craving and went in search of a something I could make with everything I had on hand in my cupboard already when I found this recipe. I had never had 'salted caramel' anything, so I was intrigued by this recipe. I also like that the recipe only makes 12 cupcakes - much less time consuming than the traditional 24. I had everything I needed to make these little beauties, so I went to work!

The cupcakes turned out great! They are moist, delicious, and super airy and light - I like that! They actually taste like a Christmas cookie. To taste the cupcake alone you really get a strong almond taste, but with the addition of the salted caramel frosting you get sweet, rich, and nutty that pairs nicely to create a great flavor combination!

Of course, I changed up the recipe just a bit:

Cupcake

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 vanilla bean, seeded (or you can use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup whole milk

Caramel

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla (more to taste if you prefer)

1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pinch of salt

Icing

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioner's sugar
Caramel (reserve about a tablespoon or 2 for drizzling)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used 1 teaspoon, but I suggest starting low and adding as needed to taste)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.

Starting with the cupcake ingredients, in a mixing bowl cream together 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup softened butter until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla bean seeds (or extract) and almond extract. Gradually beat in 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1.5 cups all purpose flour. Mix in 3/4 cup whole milk until well blended. Scrape down sides as necessary to get everything combined nicely.  Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners to about 2/3 full and bake in the preheated oven about 20-25 minutes. When done, the tops will bounce back when lightly pressed.

While the cupcakes are baking, start on the caramel. Place 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and 1teaspoon vanilla into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened about 3-5 minutes. Let cool until just warm to the touch. After cooling, add the cream a little at a time - mixing after each addition - until the caramel is the consistency of honey. I used about 1/4 cup of cream. Mix in a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust vanilla if needed. Let cool to room temperature.

For the icing, Combine 3/4 cup softened butter with 2 cups confectioner's sugar and at least a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt in a mixing bowl (If you are using salted butter you can omit the salt). Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy. Slowly add the cooled caramel and mix in until the frosting is smooth. I reserved about a tablespoon of the caramel to drizzle over my iced cupcakes.  If piping the frosting, you may need to chill in the fridge for a bit to stiffen.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost as you like and enjoy!