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Sea Salt Caramel Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Author: Jackie
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 1 ½ sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or regular vanilla
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with a splash of white vinegar)
Ree Drummond's Salted Caramel Sauce
  • 1 packed cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream because it is what I had)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Frosting
  • 1 cup salted caramel
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and soda and mix.
  4. In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until pale and fluffy.
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.
  6. Reduce speed to low and add a cup of flour followed by ⅓ of the buttermilk.
  7. Repeat this 3 times, until you have incorporated all the flour and buttermilk.
My tips for the best batter:
  1. Work quickly when you are incorporating the flour and milk.
  2. You do not want to wait until each addition is fully mixed.
  3. I usually add the flour, give it literally 2 seconds, then add the milk, and repeat after 2 seconds. For the last addition of the flour and milk, I usually mix by hand, in order to avoid over beating.
  4. Spoon into greased cupcake pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes.
  5. Cool completely before removing.
Ree Drummond's Salted Caramel Sauce
  1. Heat brown sugar, cream, butter, salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium low heat. Whisk gently for about 5-7 minutes until it has thickened.
  2. Add Vanilla and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes then pour into jar.
Salted Caramel Frosting
  1. Mix all ingredients until incorporated.
  2. Turn your mixer on high for about 5 minutes.
  3. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!!!
  4. Things have finally settled down in our household, and now I am able to concentrate more on The Seaside Baker. Lots of new pages are planned!!!