Caramel cupcakes with filling are so sweet and tasty! They’re made with a brown sugar cake filled with caramel sauce and topped with caramel buttercream frosting.

This is an easy caramel-filled cupcake recipe. The cake is made with a brown sugar base and it’s filled with gooey homemade caramel sauce in the center.
The caramel buttercream frosting is also made with brown sugar and can be sprinkled with sea salt if you like salted caramel. I found it was a great blend of salty and sweet.
I love a good caramel cupcake and these are definitely sweeter than my original caramel cupcake recipe. If you’re looking for a lighter caramel cupcake I definitely recommend that one!
If you’re looking for more fall cupcake flavors check out my 36 fun fall cupcake flavors!
Caramel Cupcake Ingredients
- Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
Caramel Filling Ingredients
- Lite Corn Syrup
- Light Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
Caramel Buttercream Ingredients
- Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Milk
- Salt
- Pure Vanilla Extract
How to Make Caramel Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and blend well. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Being alternating as you add buttermilk and flour to the mixing bowl.
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full. Bake cupcakes in the oven for 13-15 minutes.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a toothpick and if it comes out clean, they are done.
How to Make Caramel Filling for Cupcakes
- In a saucepan, add corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter over medium-high heat. Stir frequently and allow butter to melt. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more while stirring.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Allow to fully cool.
- The filling will thicken as it sets.
- Fill fully cooled cupcakes by using a filling icing tip with icing bag, or cut a small circle off the top of each cupcake and spoon filling inside, then replace the cupcake circle back on top.
- Can also be drizzled on top of the frosting.
How to Make Caramel Frosting
- In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, add butter, brown sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend well.
- Slowly add confectioners’ sugar until well blended.
- Top each filled cupcake with frosting.
- I used Wilton’s 6B icing tip on the cupcakes in the photos.
Check out my cupcake baking guide that answers all of your questions about baking, ingredient substitutes, and decorating the perfect cupcakes!
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Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Filling
Ingredients
Caramel Cupcakes
- 12 tablespoons Butter, room temperature
- 2 cups Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Caramel Filling
- ½ cup Lite Corn Syrup
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 14 ounce Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Caramel Frosting
- 2 cups Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3 cups Confectioners' Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Caramel Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and blend well. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Being alternating as you add buttermilk and flour to the mixing bowl.
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full. Bake cupcakes in the oven for 13-15 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a toothpick and if it comes out clean, they're done.
Caramel Filling
- In a saucepan, add corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter over medium-high heat. Stir frequently and allow butter to melt. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more while stirring.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Allow to fully cool. The filling will thicken as it sets. Fill fully cooled cupcakes by using a filling icing tip with icing bag, or cut a small circle off the top of each cupcake and spoon filling inside, then replace the cupcake circle back on top.
Caramel Frosting
- In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, add butter, brown sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend well. Slowly add confectioners' sugar until well blended.
- Top each filled cupcake with frosting. I used Wilton's 6B icing tip on the cupcakes in the photos.
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Made 212 cupcake batches and they keep sinking in the middle
Hi Darlene,
When cupcakes sink in the middle it is most likely due to not baking long enough or if the oven door is opened too frequently it can lower the oven temperature and cause them to sink in the middle as well.
Tiffany
The cupcake is absolutely delicious and EASY to make!
This recipe is good.