“Real South” Salted Caramel Cupcakes

For years, I’ve wanted to master the perfect Southern Caramel Cake.  Betty Irving, who makes the best caramel cake in West Point, Mississippi, won’t give me her recipe.  She just tells me that the secret is the heavy cream.  And the decade that we spent in the Chicago area was virtually caramel cake-less due to the fact that it just didn’t exist in that part of the country.  

What fun it was to discover, upon arrival in Winston-Salem, NC, that  I could order a delicious three-tiered caramel cake from Cherries Cafe in Lewisville any time we wanted.  So that’s what we did for birthdays and special occasions until 2006 when Cherries Cafe published a book of recipes that included Ollie’s Caramel Cake.  Hurrah!  Problem solved, right?  Not so fast… Here is what it says at the bottom of the page, “Note: This is a great old-fashioned cake but a bit difficult to make.”  My attempts were tasty enough…. but sloppy and lopsided, real “cake wrecks” if you will.

The recipe below is my solution for satisfying the caramel cake lovers in our family and it has been a huge success.  I use a tried and true yellow cupcake recipe formula from noted pastry chef Gail Gand, the caramel icing recipe from Cherries Cafe Secrets, and a healthy pinch of flakey sea salt which takes this desert to a whole new level.  Cupcakes, being infinitely easier to frost with the warm, candy-like icing, were the answer.  

Now we have a family argument over how many cupcakes constitute a serving.  I say one, and I’m confident that I am correct.  Others insist that 2 cupcakes equal one slice of a traditional layered cake.  You be the judge.

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“Real South” Salted Caramel Cupcakes (see icing recipe below)

  • Author: Margaret@The Right Recipe
  • Yield: 24 1x

Ingredients

Scale
 
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill 2 12-count cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to whip. Add the vanilla and gradually mix in the eggs, one by one, until well combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter in to the prepared pan, filling each slot three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cupcakes are puffed, firm in the center , and light golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

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“Real South” Salted Caramel Icing

  • Author: Margaret@The Right Recipe
  • Yield: 24 1x

Ingredients

Scale
 
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 16 ounce package brown sugar
  • 1 16 ounce package confectioners sugar
  • flakey sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions

Bring the butter, cream and brown sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes or until thickened and the sugar is dissolved, stirring often. Add vanilla. Pour carefull into a large bowl and add the sifted confectioners’ sugar immediately. Beat until creamy and smooth. Let the icing cool slightly.

Remove the cupcakes from the pan.The icing should still be warm but firm enough to just barely drip over the edges. Do a test on one cupcake and when it is the right consistency, go ahead and frost all the cupcakes fairly quickly before the icing hardens. (a small off-set spatula works well here) Sprinkle each with a healthy pinch of the flakey sea salt as you go so it will adhere to the wet icing. Let icing set before serving.

  • Anne Shuler
    September 10, 2014 at 4:08 pm

    Please disregard previous comment! Trying to share this delicious recipe with a friend for a club meeting.

  • Anne Shuler
    September 10, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    Hey Miss Ann,
    Here’s the link to the salted caramel cupcakes recipe. We could get together that Sunday before the meeting to bake them, or I can do the cupcakes if you want to do the salty side. Let me know what works for you!
    Melissa

  • Sarah
    May 31, 2014 at 10:57 am

    These sound amazing!

  • Edith
    January 1, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    Thank you. Recipe worked well.

    • therightrecipe
      February 3, 2014 at 9:25 pm

      Glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know.

  • Katie
    December 10, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    I made these for my sister’s birthday party! Everyone raved about them!!!! A huge hit!!

  • Charlotte
    October 22, 2013 at 4:27 pm

    How long will these keep for?

    • therightrecipe
      October 22, 2013 at 4:31 pm

      3 days covered at room temp or cooler

  • Tanya Santos
    October 22, 2013 at 9:58 am

    I can’t seem to find the flaky sea salt. Do you think coarse or ground sea salt would work, as well? Thanks for this recipe. Batter is fabulous! Cupcakes see in the oven now.

    • therightrecipe
      October 22, 2013 at 10:25 am

      Kosher salt will work well. A small pinch of sea salt will do the trick perhaps, taste wise. I would be careful with coarse ground salt…some brands would be too crunchy and overpowering. Hope it goes well…favorite cupcakes around here!

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  • Jayne
    September 17, 2013 at 5:19 am

    Love finding something new to try, these sound wonderful!

  • huntfortheverybest
    September 12, 2013 at 12:24 pm

    icing looks delish!

  • cookazido
    September 4, 2013 at 12:38 am

    Definitely 2, only because I would want 2 (or more) of these! They look so delicious.

  • Kathy
    September 3, 2013 at 4:34 pm

    I made these and they are amazing!! Lots of “wow” from the new fans

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  • Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)
    August 31, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    That icing looks amazing! Looks like it’s just the right consistency, and it sounds absolutely delicious. : )

  • Lee French
    August 28, 2013 at 9:07 am

    The appropriate serving size is 2 now, and 1 later…for a total of 3. The author should know this by now.

  • A Taste of Wintergreen
    August 25, 2013 at 8:38 am

    These look perfect. On my list of recipes I must try out. Thank you! 😉

  • Lakshmi Loves To Shop
    August 23, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    Oh my 🙂 they look sooooo delicious! Thank you for a lovely post ~ Lakshmi

  • whatscookinginjaneskitchen
    August 23, 2013 at 1:25 am

    This looks delicious! I am definitely making this! Love your blog and pictures always perfect 🙂

  • Brigid
    August 22, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    YUM! Will definitely have to give these a try!