• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop
Watch VideoRead CommentsLeave a Review

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

February 27, 2011 by Joy the Baker 353 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Desktop23

Is it wrong to J-walk into church? …. because I do it just about every Sunday.

Is it wrong to curse at people on the road while driving to church?  Cause… maybe that’s happened once or twice.

On a scale of one to total jerk… how jerky is it for me to blatantly roll my eyes at the lady on the spin bike next to me who is flirting with the obviously married man on the other side of me?  Do I really need to be in the middle of this interaction? It’s 7 in the morning! Come on.  Please.

Oh!  And while we’re on the subject… if you take your shirt off during spin class and decide to just ride it out in your sports bra…. I’m going to try very very very hard not to label you as an attention-seeking-lady-exerciser.  Do not like.  We’re all hot and sweating lady…. keep you shirt on.  There should be a rule.  There’s gotta be a rule.

Also… exactly how much of this batter can I spoon in my mouth after spin class and before rushing off to J-walk into church?  That’s the real issue.  The answer?  About two cupcakes worth of batter… which may or may not lead to a belly ache.  Don’t do what I do… J-walk, curse, or roll your eyes at attention seeking, inappropriately flirty strangerladies.  Be a nice person instead.

Desktop23

I happen to love making cupcakes exactly 47 times better than I like to actually eat cupcakes (cupcake batter excluded).  Making individual cake treats is cathartic.  They all looks the same with slight differences and imperfections.  I love to line them up and take in their differences…. then cover them in frosting.

These cakes themselves are a brown sugar and buttermilk cake.  The addition of brown sugar mocks the dulce de leche flavors just slightly.  The cakes are more of a pound cake consistency and not so much a fluffy cake mix cupcake.  The frosting is a combination of three fine fats:  butter, cream cheese and dulce de leche.  Only the hideous addition of  sardines could make this frosting something other than delicious.

Wait… do you know what Dulde de leche is?  Dulce de leche is very similar to caramel.  It’s sweetened condensed milk that has been cooked down until the sugars have darkened to a rich caramel.  It’s sweet and thick and perfectly acceptable to bathe in.

Some people make their own dulce de leche by boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk…. literally, in the can.  While many have had success with this technique, I’m convinced that I would both injure an eye and burn my house down… so I just buy my dulce de leche.  I also really like the consistency of this particular caramel product.  It’s thick but still spreadable and works really well in my frosting.  ((I got this particular dulce de leche at Whole Foods… but you can totally find this La Salamandra product on Amazon))

I’m not saying you shouldn’t make your own… you look perfectly capable.  I’ve just never done it… so I’ll leave you to google and experiment with that whole thing on your own.  Go with God.  … and I love you.

Cake with cream cheese and caramel.  Please don’t make me twist your arm… just get on this.

You might also like to know that I made these Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies.  If you’re going to get the jar… you might as well go hog wild.

 

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

  • Author: Joy The Baker
  • Prep Time: 30 minute(s)
  • Cook Time: 20 minute(s)
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: USA (General)
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (a few more if you don’t eat a bunch of cupcake batter  like I did)

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook


Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup dulce de leche, plus more for drizzling

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups powdered sugar


Instructions

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper or foil liners.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugars.  Beat on medium speed until fluffy and pale brown, about 3 minutes.   Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add one egg.  Beat on medium for one minute.  Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute between each addition.  Stop the bowl and scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract.

Add half of the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture.  Beat on low speed and slowly drizzle in the buttermilk.  Beat until just incorporated.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and finish incorporating with a spatula.  Try not to over mix the mixture.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake pans, filling each liner about two thirds full.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.  Let rest in the cupcake pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cupcakes should be completely cooled before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, until very soft and pliable.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the butter and dulce de leche.  Beat on medium speed until well incorporated.  Stop the mixer and add the salt and powdered sugar.  Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color.  Generously spoon frosting on top of cupcakes, or use a large frosting tip to pipe on frosting.

For garnish, I heated a few spoonfuls of dulce de leche of a low flame until just pourable.  Then I drizzled it over the cupcakes and topped with a few sprinkles.  Add a few sprinkles of fine sea salt if you’re feeling fancy.  I stored the cupcakes in the fridge for an hour to chill the frosting slightly.

I like to enjoy my cupcakes within two days of preparing them.  Feel free to wrap and refrigerate them because of the cream cheese in the frosting.  Let come close to room temperature before serving.


Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Previous PostNext Post

Categories: Buttermilk, Cupcakes, Recipes

Previous Post: « Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake
Next Post: Soft Vegan Ginger Cookies »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Chance Cook

    September 13, 2021 at 8:43 am

    I have never had dulce de leche. So knowing that is it is similar to caramel helps me imagine how it would taste. Better yet, it helps me determine how it can be used in a recipe.

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline

    March 15, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Question! I know this was posted a long time ago, but I stumbled upon this recipe today and I am going to make it for a friend. Have you put dulce de leche in the cupcake batter before? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      May 24, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      No, but it sounds delicious!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Buttermilk

Sliced Texas Sheet Cake in a pan.
Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

For the past few, oh I dunno…. decades the only real question for family gatherings is: who is going to make the Texas Sheet Cake? It’s goes without saying that this unassuming, pecan studded cake will be sliced up at the end of every family celebration. As sure as the sun will rise, ya know?…

Read More

Slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a plate with a fork.
Everybody’s Birthday Cake – Chocolate Peanut Butter

What’s your go-to birthday cake? I’m taking a wild guess and crossing my fingers that it’s the best chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting. My dream cake? Literally any cake someone else bakes for me, amen. Though if they happen to bake an angel food cake topped with mountains of fresh raspberry whipped cream that…

Read More

Savory Pumpkin Pancetta Waffles with greens and eggs

I haven’t had to pull out all the stops, and all of my party tricks to host brunch and dinner guests this year. In some ways it’s been a luxury to let the dishes pile and air dry on the kitchen counter and I’ve been a little lazy about keeping champagne cold in the fridge…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

CHECK IT OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker, author of books, lover of butter
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
📝Inquiries megan@underscoretalent.com
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Your mission this weekend, should you choose to ac Your mission this weekend, should you choose to accept it: turn little slices of 🍌🍌 into cinnamon sugar topped pancakes. 💖 Full recipe linked in the bio mmmkay enjoy!
The To-Do List can wait until after cookies, amiri The To-Do List can wait until after cookies, amiright? 
⁣
Two Giant Peanut Butter Cookies⁣
(or four smaller cookies) ⁣
⁣
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted⁣
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed⁣
1 large egg yolk⁣
A splash of vanilla extract⁣
1/4 cup peanut butter⁣
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend⁣
1/4 teaspoon baking soda⁣
1/4 teaspoon salt⁣
Coarse sugar and/or sea salt for sprinkling, optional⁣
⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. ⁣
⁣
I’m a medium bowl, whisk together warm melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the peanut butter and mix to combine. ⁣
⁣
Add the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together. Divide in two big portions (or four smaller portions) onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and salt if you’d like. ⁣
⁣
Bake two giant cookies for 12-14 minutes, or four cookies for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with cold milk.
You know those particularly messy sandwiches that, You know those particularly messy sandwiches that, when you pick up, you know you can’t put down until they’re good and gone? These Milk and Cereal Bars are the ice cream version of that sensation. So crunchy creamy sweet, with a hint of salt and spice. ⁣
⁣
Three Mostly Store-Bought Homemade Ice Cream Treat recipes are linked in the profile. It’s giving Semi-Homemade without the tablescapes or vodka. Iykyk.
I spent the weekend with Will and my family in Sou I spent the weekend with Will and my family in Southern California and there were sailboats, and vintage cars, and paddle boarding, and so many family laughs, and cookouts, and holding hands with my handsome boyfriend in a backwards baseball cap (WHY IS THAT SO SEXY?) but - the way we ordered a second TOWER OF ONION RINGS for the table at lunch was like…. BEYOND. 🥲🥰🥹😅🥳
Raise you hand if you secretly love a boxed cake m Raise you hand if you secretly love a boxed cake mix? Me: 🙋🏻‍♀️
⁣
My favorite version is this Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake baby topped with cream cheese frosting and extra fresh 🍓🍓. Perfect for the holiday weekend amiright? ⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in the bio!
I woke up a year older and wiser today and the onl I woke up a year older and wiser today and the only advice I have for you is this: stay busy makin’ your own dreams come true. ⁣
⁣
xo
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up