These brown sugar butterscotch cupcakes have a candy shock in each chew! Take pleasure in mushy and tender brown sugar cupcakes stuffed with gooey home made butterscotch. Every chew is buttery, wealthy, and loaded with toffee-like taste—like one of the best elements of butterscotch pudding wrapped up in cupcake kind. You’ll be able to select your individual frosting, reminiscent of vanilla buttercream (pictured) or Swiss meringue buttercream. Extra choices beneath!
I first printed this recipe in 2013. Since then, my workforce and I revisited this recipe and made some modifications to enhance the flavour and consistency of the home made butterscotch sauce.
So many cupcake flavors, so little time! Although there’s at all times a cause to return to the mainstays of vanilla cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes, typically it’s price taking a taste detour off the well-traveled cupcake path. Like with apple cupcakes with salted caramel frosting, snickerdoodle cupcakes, and chai latte cupcakes, all of which have that ingredient of the sudden that’s so pleasant in a deal with.
And right now’s brown sugar butterscotch cupcakes function an additional sudden ingredient, as a result of hidden inside is a gooey home made butterscotch sauce. One chew and also you’ll (at the very least briefly) overlook all of the previous cupcake flavors you’re keen on.
Should you love butterscotch, you’ll completely adore these cupcakes. Do that from-scratch butterscotch pie someday, too!
Let’s begin by making the butterscotch sauce first, so it has loads of time to chill earlier than you want it to fill the cupcakes.
The right way to Make Do-it-yourself Butterscotch Sauce
The top end result might look much like home made salted caramel, however a key distinction right here is butterscotch is made out of brown sugar, whereas caramel is made out of white sugar. The sauce stays a little bit thinner, too.
Additionally, making butterscotch sauce is just not fairly as hands-on as caramel. For more often than not, you’re simply watching butter, cream, and brown sugar bubble.
Right here’s what it’s essential make the best-tasting home made butterscotch:
- Butter: Can’t make—and even spell—butterscotch with out butter!
- Darkish Brown Sugar: You need to use gentle brown sugar if that’s all you could find, however for the richest, deepest butterscotch taste, attain for the darkish stuff.
- Lemon Juice: A shocking however vital ingredient! Lemon juice stops sugar from crystallizing, so your sauce stays easy and velvety slightly than gritty. You received’t style the lemon, I promise. Corn syrup can do the identical job, however lemon juice is right as a result of it doesn’t improve sweetness.
- Cream: Heavy cream makes for a wealthy, creamy butterscotch sauce.
- Vanilla Extract: Be at liberty to make use of home made vanilla extract right here, or vanilla bean paste.
- Scotch: That is non-obligatory, nevertheless it actually does elevate the flavour! Should you don’t need to embody it, you may merely substitute additional vanilla instead.
- Salt: Similar to with making salted caramel, a little bit salt works magic on this candy sauce!
As soon as your home made butterscotch sauce is completed, let it cool to room temperature. You may additionally make it forward of time and retailer it within the fridge for a pair weeks.
Now it’s time to make the brown-sugar-sweetened cupcakes.
Substances You Want for Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Flour: All-purpose flour types the construction of those cupcakes.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leaveners assist the cupcakes stand up and get good and fluffy.
- Salt: Key for taste, and to steadiness the sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: We’re utilizing all brown sugar to sweeten these cupcakes, so anticipate the crumb to be a little bit denser than, say, vanilla cupcakes.
- Melted Butter: Utilizing melted butter for the cupcakes means you don’t even have to interrupt out the mixer to make the batter!
- Egg: 1 egg provides richness and binds the elements collectively.
- Bitter Cream: Vital for moisture.
- Milk: Complete milk will provide you with the best-tasting end result, however you should utilize lower-fat or nondairy milk in a pinch.
- Vanilla: One other key taste.
This cupcake batter is customized from my strawberry shortcake cupcakes—solely they’re made with all brown sugar and a complete egg for richness and a golden coloration. You’ll be able to substitute 2 egg whites in the event you’d like.
The method for making these cupcakes is easy. Whisk collectively dry elements, whisk collectively moist elements, after which mix the 2.
Success Tip: Don’t Overfill
You’ll have sufficient batter for 15 cupcakes, so line a normal 12-cup muffin pan after which a second one with 3 extra cupcake liners. Fill the liners simply 2/3 of the best way full. Don’t attempt to match all of the batter into 12 cups as a result of the cupcakes will spill over the perimeters when baking, and also you’ll have an enormous sloppy mess to cope with!
They take nearly 20 minutes or so to bake, then the cupcakes want to chill fully earlier than you fill and frost them.
The right way to Fill Cupcakes
As soon as the cupcakes are fully cool, it’s time to fill them with butterscotch sauce.
You’ll be able to fill a piping bag fitted with a protracted, skinny filling tip with the butterscotch sauce, or you may merely carve out a little bit gap in every cupcake with a paring knife and spoon the thickened butterscotch inside. I normally go together with the second methodology.
To take action, use a pointy knife to chop a circle within the cupcake and take away the middle, which might be roughly the form of a cone. Utilizing a small spoon, fill the center of the cupcake with as a lot butterscotch sauce as you may. (Normally between 1–2 teaspoons.) Slice/tear off the pointed tip of the cone-shaped piece of cupcake, and gently press the spherical piece again on high of the filling. You’ll have leftover butterscotch sauce that you should utilize to drizzle on the completed cupcakes.
Don’t fear about the way it appears to be like on high, since you’ll cowl the highest with frosting!
Should you want additional assist with this step, see my The right way to Fill Cupcakes tutorial and video.
Frosting Decisions
For a traditional candy end, frost these butterscotch cupcakes with vanilla buttercream—that’s the frosting pictured right here.
Should you want one thing much less candy (since each the cupcakes and sauce are already fairly wealthy), attempt Swiss meringue buttercream, a lighter whipped frosting, and even one thing so simple as whipped cream. Personally, I really like them with Swiss meringue buttercream, although it does imply one other journey to the range.
Whichever frosting you select, don’t overlook to drizzle the leftover butterscotch sauce on high!
Extra Favourite Butterscotch Recipes
Description
Take pleasure in mushy and tender brown sugar cupcakes stuffed with gooey home made butterscotch sauce. Every chew is buttery, wealthy, and loaded with toffee-like taste—like one of the best elements of butterscotch pudding wrapped up in cupcake kind. Take your time making the butterscotch sauce and don’t skip the lemon juice. You’ll be able to select your individual frosting, reminiscent of vanilla buttercream (pictured) or Swiss meringue buttercream. Different choices embody not-so-sweet whipped frosting or gentle and fluffy whipped cream.
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150g) darkish brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon recent lemon juice (don’t skip!)
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) heavy cream (don’t use milk or half-and-half)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 2 teaspoons bourbon, scotch, or rum (see Word)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cupcakes
- 1 and a couple of/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and barely cooled
- 1 cup (200g) packed gentle or darkish brown sugar
- 1 massive egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) bitter cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g/ml) entire milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
Frosting Choices
- Make the butterscotch sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium warmth, soften the butter with the brown sugar and lemon juice, whisking to mix. As soon as melted and mixed, slowly pour within the heavy cream, whisking continuously. As soon as the cream has been included, cease whisking and let the combination come to a boil. Cut back the warmth to medium-low and let boil for 3–4 minutes. Take away from warmth and stir in vanilla extract, scotch (if utilizing), and salt. Permit to chill fully. This makes a little bit over 1 cup of butterscotch sauce, or about 250g.
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 3 liners—this recipe makes about 15 cupcakes. Put aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Put aside.
- In a big bowl, whisk collectively the melted butter and brown sugar till mixed and no lumps stay. Add the egg, bitter cream, milk, and vanilla, and whisk till mixed. Add the dry elements into the moist elements, and stir till mixed. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners—fill solely 2/3 full to keep away from spilling over the perimeters.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear.
- Cool the cupcakes within the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then take away them from the pan and place them immediately on the rack to chill fully. Cupcakes should be fully cool earlier than filling and frosting.
- Fill the cupcakes: Utilizing a pointy knife, minimize a circle into the middle of the cooled cupcakes to create a little bit pocket about 1 inch deep. The piece you eliminated might be form of cone-shaped. Spoon thickened and cooled butterscotch sauce inside every carved-out cupcake—use nevertheless a lot will match. (Normally you may match between 1–2 teaspoons of filling in every; you should have butterscotch sauce leftover to drizzle on high of the frosting.) Slice/tear off the sharp finish of the “cone” piece of cupcake you eliminated, and gently press the spherical piece again on high of the filling. See my The right way to Fill Cupcakes submit in the event you want additional visuals or assist with this step.
- Make the frosting: Observe the steps to make your frosting of selection. Choices embody vanilla buttercream (pictured), Swiss meringue buttercream, and even one thing like not-so-sweet whipped frosting, or gentle and fluffy whipped cream.
- Prime every cupcake with frosting (I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the frosting) and drizzle with leftover cooled butterscotch sauce.
- Retailer cupcakes at room temperature for as much as 2 days or within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Retailer any leftover butterscotch sauce in a tightly sealed container/jar within the fridge for as much as 1 week. I like to recommend a cupcake service for storing and transporting embellished cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Cupcakes could be made forward 1 day upfront, lined, and saved at room temperature. Butterscotch sauce could be made upfront and saved within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks. For greatest outcomes, make the frosting the day you propose to serve the cupcakes. Unfilled, unfrosted cupcakes could be frozen for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then fill and frost earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Squeeze Bottle | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cupcake Provider
- Lemon Juice in Butterscotch Sauce: This will appear to be an odd ingredient to incorporate, nevertheless it helps forestall crystallization. Slightly splash of lemon juice helps maintain this sauce easy and velvety, so that you don’t find yourself with a grainy texture. I promise you may’t style the lemon!
- Alcohol in Butterscotch Sauce: For depth of taste, I strongly advocate including 2 teaspoons of bourbon, scotch, or rum. All have barely diffrent taste profiles, however I normally use scotch on this. If you wish to skip the alcohol, add 1 extra teaspoon of vanilla. (Not 2 extra teaspoons.)
- Complete Milk & Bitter Cream in Cupcakes: Complete milk and full-fat bitter cream are strongly advisable for one of the best style and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt (Greek or common) would work as an alternative, although the cupcakes will not be as gentle. Similar goes with a lower-fat milk. Nondairy milk works in a pinch.
- You’ll want to take a look at my 10 suggestions for baking the BEST cupcakes earlier than you start.
