Cakes and Cupcakes
Homemade Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
These cupcakes take the nostalgic, tangy crunch of a classic snickerdoodle cookie and transform it into a fluffy cake with a surprise liquid gold center. Topped with a cloud of cinnamon-spiced buttercream, they are the perfect treat for sharing with friends or family on a cozy afternoon.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Intermediate
- Per serving
- 410 kcal
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, usually about 3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined to keep the texture light.
Fill each cupcake liner about 1/3 full. Place one unwrapped soft caramel candy into the center of each liner.
Top with the remaining batter until the liners are about 3/4 full, ensuring the caramel is completely covered.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake part (avoiding the caramel) comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For the frosting, beat the remaining 1 cup of butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a splash of milk until you reach a pipeable consistency. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with extra cinnamon sugar.
Notes
Use room temperature eggs and milk to ensure the batter emulsifies perfectly without curdling.
Do not overmix once you add the flour; overmixing leads to a tough, bread-like cupcake rather than a tender crumb.
If your caramels are very hard, microwave them for 5 seconds just to slightly soften them before placing them in the batter.
If you want an even gooier center, you can use a cupcake corer after baking and fill them with warm salted caramel sauce instead of baking the candy inside.
