Caramel Honey Cupcakes

Delicious, airy honey sponge cupcakes dotted with pecan pieces and topped with a rich, creamy dulce de leche frosting.

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For my February bake with The Cake Slice Bakers, I was looking for a simple dessert to serve at a small dinner party. I chose to make a mini version of the stunning Caramel Honey Cake from The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk and cut the recipe in half to make a smaller batch of cupcakes.

How to Make Caramel Honey Cupcakes

First, preheat the oven and place cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. You’ll need 16 to 18 cupcake liners.

Then whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer until the mixture is pale and thick about 7 to 8 minutes. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and sift into the egg mixture in two batches. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then add the pecans to the mixture and fold in until combined.

“Folding” the mixtures together means combining without knocking the air out of the eggs. Use a rubber spatula or a large metal spoon. Run the spatula or spoon around the side of the bowl, then along the base, and then fold the mixture over itself. Rotate the bowl by about 90 degrees and then repeat until the dry mixture is completely combined.

Add the cupcake batter to the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops are set. Remove from the oven and let them cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make a syrup by combining the sweetened condensed milk and the heavy cream. Poke each cupcake with a toothpick about halfway through several times. Pour the syrup on top. Allow to soak in, then go around again. This step is important to keep the cupcakes nice and moist.

Finally, make the frosting by whipping butter in a stand mixer. Then add dulce de leche, vanilla extract, and salt. Finally, add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until completely combined and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes and serve!

Looking for some more caramel based recipes? Try these Mini Caramel Apple Cupcakes, Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, or Caramel Swirl Ice Cream. If you try this recipe for Caramel Honey Cupcakes, leave a review and a comment below and let me know!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Caramel Honey Cupcakes

Delicious, airy honey sponge cupcakes dotted with pecan pieces and topped with a rich, creamy dulce de leche frosting.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Cooling Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European

Servings: 16 servings

Author: Danielle Howard

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (68 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (64 ml) honey
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (48 g) almond flour
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
• 1/2 cup (72 g) chopped pecans

Syrup

• 1/4 cup (59 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup (59 g) heavy cream

Frosting

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 can, approx 200 grams, dulce de leche
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
• Place the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed for about 7 minutes until the eggs are pale and thick with a creamy texture. Pour in the honey and whisk for another minute.
• In a separate bowl, add the flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Mix together with a fork.
• Take the mixing bowl off the mixer. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Gently fold in to incorporate. Then sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and gently fold in.
• Add the chopped pecans at the end and gently fold in.
• Divide the cake batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full. You should have about 16 to 18 cupcakes.
• Bake for about 12-14 minutes until the tops are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• For the syrup combine the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. While the cupcakes are still slightly warm, poke the cupcakes with a toothpick about halfway through and gently pour the syrup over the top. Allow the syrup to absorb in the cupcakes, then add a bit more of the syrup to each cupcake.
• To make the frosting add the butter to a large mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the dulce de leche, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter. Whisk again for about 3 minutes until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and whisk some more until completely combined.
• Frost the cupcakes and serve.