Here’s a tricky question for you: what should Tastes Like Fall Cupcakes taste like? What is the flavor of fall? There are plenty of excellent and delicious answers, but we think we have the best one—the taste of sticky, salty, sweet caramel, like the kind you’d enjoy at the local harvest festival. Thankfully, both the tender cake and the rich buttercream frosting of Tastes Like Fall Cupcakes are infused with the buttery flavor of caramel through and through. Is it just us, or is fall truly the tastiest season?
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 5 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the caramel buttercream frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking powder, and the salt.
Step 4 –In another large bowl, combine the butter, the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla and beat using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until it turns pale in color and becomes smooth and creamy, about 5-6 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.
Step 6 –Add the yogurt and 5 tablespoons of the caramel and beat until well-incorporated.
Step 7 –Add the flour mixture in batches to the wet mixture and mix until fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
Step 8 –Add the milk and give it one final mix to incorporate.
Step 9 –Portion out the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Only fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full.
Step 10 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 11 –Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 12 –In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until it’s light and creamy.
Step 13 –Add the remaining vanilla, the caramel, and the confectioners’ sugar in batches and beat until the buttercream frosting is fluffy and smooth.
Step 14 –Frost the completely cooled cupcakes.
Step 15 –Serve!