I have yet to find someone who does not love dulce de leche. It seems like everybody loves that creamy, rich, gooey stuff. In addition, if you love cupcakes, then you can only imagine what the combination of cupcakes and dulce de leche tastes like. These are the best dulce de leche cupcakes!!! As promised, I want to share my dulce de leche cupcake recipe with you. Last week, I shared with you my Brown Sugar Cupcakes and Caramel Cupcakes. And I have two more, so stay tuned. I don’t want to brag about my cupcake recipes. So, I’ll just say this: Ziv does not eat cupcakes except these. Yep, these are the only cupcakes he eats. Therefore, trust me, these are the best dulce de leche cupcakes. As you know, making cupcakes is my job. I do it almost all the time. So my kids are just tired of cake. And yet, they are never tired of this one. Aadi can eat dulce de leche right out of a can. And he loves cupcakes more than regular cakes. So, he will take any cupcake, even the strawberry one, and top it with – you guessed it – dulce de leche.
What is dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche is the best thing you will ever taste. It’s a creamy caramel-like sauce made by simmering a pot of milk and sugar for a couple of hours until it is reduced to a thick, creamy, paste-like consistency. It takes forever, but it is so tasty. You can buy this ready in a can or jar in the supermarket. Hence, don’t worry. You don’t have to wait so many hours to eat these cupcakes.
About these cupcakes
Why do I call this the best dulce de leche cupcake recipe? First, it has a light and fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe with a soft crumb. Those of you who have tried my cupcakes know you can eat them on their own without any frosting. So delicious. Then we go one step further and fill them with dulce de leche. As if that wasn’t enough, we also make a batch of dulce de leche buttercream to go on top of it. Tips – try filling these with the leche while they are still warm. I mean, just stick a bag of filling into each cupcake and watch how the warmth of the cupcake melts and infuses the cupcake batter. So, is it any wonder that these make the best dulce de leche cupcakes? The best part? These can be customized. Therefore, if you think there is too much dulce de leche for you to handle, don’t fill these with dulce de leche. Just go with the dulce de leche buttercream topping. Alternatively, keep the filling and use a vanilla buttercream topping instead of dulce de leche buttercream. In fact, you must try a meringue buttercream such as Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream. And if you think this is still not enough dulce de leche on your cupcake – add some more dulce de leche as a drizzle. Warm a little dulce de leche in the microwave with a few tablespoons of cream to make it pourable consistency and have fun drizzling.
Ingredients and substitutes
Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter. Because I like to control the amount of salt. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, then go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe. Sugar – I prefer white sugar because I want to keep the cupcakes’ color whiter so the cupcake filling stands out. Buttermilk – gives a nice soft crumb to the cupcakes. Buttermilk takes five minutes to make at home, so there should be no reason to substitute. Here’s how to make homemade buttermilk in 5 minutes. All-purpose flour – Yes, we use simple plain all-purpose flour. There is no need for any cake flour or self-raising flour. Dulce de leche – I make my own homemade dulce de leche when I need a big batch for a cake order. Otherwise, I just buy a jar from the supermarket for small projects.
Step-by-step instructions
Bake the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F. Prepare baking cups or cupcake wrappers in a cupcake pan or muffin pans. Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a bowl of a stand mixer, at medium speed, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and scrape the sides of the bowl often. Followed by the buttermilk and flour mixture. Lastly, add in the Vanilla. Use an ice cream scoop to distribute the cupcakes evenly between 12 cupcakes wraps. Bake in a preheated oven for about 18 to 22 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely, but do not put them in the fridge.
Fill the cupcakes
Place the dulce de leche in a piping bag or ziplock bag. Make a small hole at the end of the bag. Using a melon baller, make a hole in the center of the cupcake and fill the cavity with dulce de leche. Place cupcakes in the fridge to cool.
Make the dulce de leche buttercream
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, and continue to whip some more. Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Finally, fold the dulce de leche. Add half the dulce de leche and mix it really well. When you add the other half, barely mix, leaving streaks of the dark line in the frosting.
Pipe the buttercream
Place buttercream into a piping bag with your favorite piping tip and pipe a swirl. Alternatively, use a spatula to create a dome on the cupcake. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
What other buttercream or frosting can I use for these strawberry cupcakes?
Oh, these cupcakes are delicious with just about any frosting. I have shared with you more than 30 different buttercream flavors here on the blog but these are just a few suggestions. Did you LIKE this recipe? Save it for later. You can find my recipes on Pinterest. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Subscribe, and I’ll send you new recipes right to your inbox. Thank you for sharing - Save for later
