These caramel latte cupcakes are a baked version of one of the most popular drinks available at high street coffee chains.
The sponge is flavoured with coffee and vanilla, the frosting is white chocolate vanilla buttercream, and the caramel sauce brings extra creamy sweetness.
To make them, you'll start with a simple sponge made from butter, sugar, coffee, eggs, milk and self-raising flour. Once whisked together, you'll spoon the batter into cupcake cases and bake!
The caramel sauce is made from brown sugar, butter and cream simmered together until thickened. And the buttercream is made with icing sugar, butter and vanilla, plus melted white chocolate for a really creamy, delicious finish.
If you fancy creating these caramel latte cupcakes for yourself, here's the full recipe.
I've included photographs of every step so that you can see how your batter, buttercream and caramel should look as you make them. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the sponges
- 175 g (1½ sticks) salted butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 3 medium free range eggs
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200 g (1⅓ cups) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
For the frosting
- 150 g (11 tbsp) salted butter softened
- 380 g (3 cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white chocolate
For the sauce
- 60 g (½ stick) salted butter
- 60 g (⅓ cup) soft light brown sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
Instructions
Make the sponges
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan assisted).
Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
Put the coffee in a large jug.
Add a tablespoon of freshly boiled water and stir to dissolve.
Add the eggs, milk and vanilla.
Whisk together.
Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together until light and fluffy.
Gradually whisk in the coffee and egg mixture.
Sift in the flour and baking powder.
Fold gently together.
Share the batter evenly between the cupcake cases.
Bake for 20 minutes until springy on top.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the caramel sauce
Put the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Stir continuously until melted.
Add the cream and warm back through until it’s gently bubbling.
Keep stirring and heating until it thickens enough to coat the spoon.
Take off the heat and let it cool - it can’t be warm when it’s drizzled over the cakes as it will melt the frosting.
Make the frosting
Melt the white chocolate and set aside to cool. If it’s added to the frosting warm, it will melt the butter.
Put the butter in a large bowl.
Whisk until pale and creamy.
Sift in the icing sugar, then add the milk and vanilla.
Beat until very pale and fluffy.
Add the cooled melted white chocolate to the frosting.
Whisk to combine.
Decorate your cupcakes
Transfer your frosting to piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
Pipe tall swirls of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.
When the caramel sauce is at room temperature, drizzle it over the cakes and enjoy.
Ta da! Worth a try for the coffee lover in your life?
When you make them, don't forget to send me some photos so I can see your brilliant bakes!
Print this caramel latte cupcakes recipe
Caramel Latte Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the sponges
- 175 g (1½ sticks) salted butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 3 medium free range eggs
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200 g (1⅓ cups) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
For the frosting
- 150 g (11 tbsp) salted butter softened
- 380 g (3 cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white chocolate
For the sauce
- 60 g (½ stick) salted butter
- 60 g (⅓ cup) soft light brown sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
Instructions
Make the sponges
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan assisted / 370F).
- Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
- Put the coffee in a large jug, add a tablespoon of freshly boiled water and stir to dissolve.
- Add the eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk together.
- Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until light and fluffy.
- Gradually whisk in the coffee and egg mixture.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold gently together.
- Share the batter evenly between the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 20 minutes until springy on top then cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the caramel sauce
- Put the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir continuously until melted.
- Add the cream and warm back through until it’s gently bubbling. Keep stirring and heating until it thickens enough to coat the spoon.
- Take off the heat and let it cool - it can’t be warm when it’s drizzled over the cakes as it will melt the frosting.
Make the frosting
- Melt the white chocolate and set aside to cool. If it’s added to the frosting warm, it will melt the butter.
- Put the butter in a large bowl and whisk until pale and creamy.
- Sift in the icing sugar, then add the milk and vanilla and beat until very pale and fluffy.
- Add the cooled melted white chocolate to the frosting and whisk to combine.
Decorate your cupcakes
- Transfer your frosting to piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe tall swirls of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.
- When the caramel sauce is at room temperature, drizzle it over the cakes and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Becky says
These look delicious Emily, one to bookmark for our next school bake sale!
Emily Leary says
Oh brilliant! Would love to see pics!
Gurkha kitchen says
Thank you for a great recipe. It’s super nice and complete and helpful.
Emily Leary says
Thank you!
Brian says
Darn! Metric... I'm from the states. I'll do the math though, because these look too amazing to not make! Thanks for posting!
Emily Leary says
Aw, sorry! When I get a chance, I'll go through some of my highest traffic recipes and start adding cup measures in brackets :)
Amanda @gidders1 says
ohh, they really look delicious. I wish i could pipe as well as that!
Cat (Yellow Days) says
That's Hubs' favourite coffee as well so I think these would go down a treat. They look delicious. x
otilia says
They look fantastic! You are an artist!
PS:Voted for you :)
Odette says
These look great! Will have to get baking
Mum of One says
These look so delicious!
Emma @mummymummymum says
Wow Emily, why are you not huge :-) They look fantastic. I love the drink too!