(Adapted from The Food Network)
Ingredients
Cupcake:
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of sugar
1 cup salted butter, melted
2 cups of flour
Caramel Buttercream frosting:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
4 oz of cream cheese, cubed and chilled
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of caramel sauce
Optional toppings:
Chopped Cashews
Course sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, baking soda, salt and eggs until combined. Add the vanilla and granulated sugar to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.
In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with 1 cup water. With mixer set to a low speed, alternate adding the water and butter, with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until well combined.
Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter. Bake until golden brown about 22 minutes. While your cupcakes are cooling make your frosting.
In a very large bowl, add the butter and beat until smooth with a hand mixer for 3-4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Reduce the speed and add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the caramel sauce to the buttercream mixture.
When the cupcakes completely cool then frost and decorate!