This Peanut Butter Caramel Cupcakes with Carrot Frosting recipe yields peanut butter cupcakes topped with carrot ermine frosting that are filled with spiced salted caramel. Cinnamon and nutmeg flavor the salted caramel, which plays beautifully with peanut butter and carrot.
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As a kid, I loved carrots with peanut butter. That odd combo was the inspiration for these little cakes. These were initially supposed to be released as an Easter recipe due to the inclusion of carrot, but I got a little behind. So if you're wondering why the salted caramel is spiced, that's why. I was giving a nod to the spices in carrot cake! If you get a bite with just the cupcake and the caramel, it almost tastes like a cinnamon graham cracker with peanut butter (which I loved as a kid too!)
The carrot ermine buttercream recipe is taken from my Easter Egg Petit Fours recipe. The peanut butter cupcake base is adapted from my White Chocolate Macadamia Snack Cake. I think the white chocolate frosting from that recipe would actually be really good on these, if you wanted to switch it up. Or you could use the peanut butter buttercream from my Peanut Butter Corn Cake.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The cupcakes have a robust peanut butter flavor.
- You'll love this unexpected flavor combo.
- The spiced caramel center keeps the cupcakes moist.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour is the base of the cupcakes and gives stability to the frosting. You could swap for cake flour here, if needed. Just use 2 tablespoons more cake flour than what is called for in all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cupcakes, caramel and frosting.
- Peanut butter flavors the cupcake batter.
- Cinnamon and freshly-grated whole nutmeg flavor the salted caramel sauce.
- Baking powder gives rise to the cake.
- Unsalted butter gives flavor and richness to the cake, caramel and frosting.
- Heavy cream gives moisture and richness to the caramel.
- Eggs give structure and moisture to the cake.
- Kosher salt and vanilla extract balance the overall flavor profile.
- Carrot juice provides carrot flavor to the ermine frosting.
- A touch of lemon juice (not pictured) prevents the sugar in the caramel from recrystallizing.
- Milk brings moisture to the cake.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize these peanut butter caramel cupcakes with carrot frosting:
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- No carrot — swap the carrot juice in the buttercream for milk, or make another frosting instead. The peanut butter swiss meringue buttercream from this recipe would be great here. I would recommend cutting that recipe in half for these.
- Brown sugar — swap granulated sugar for brown sugar in the cake recipe for a deeper caramel flavor.
- No spices — omit the spices in the caramel filling without issue.
- Garnish — a peanut butter drizzle or peanut butter cups would be great as garnish here.
- Snack cake — to make this into a snack cake, bake the batter in an 8x8-inch pan. Consider poking holes for the caramel to seep into, or drizzle it on top of the iced cake.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make peanut butter caramel Cupcakes with carrot frosting
Step 1: Make the salted caramel sauce: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar is completely melted. When the sugar is completely melted, add the butter and stir with a whisk until combined. Be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble up. Once the butter is incorporated, stir constantly while gradually adding the heavy cream. Be careful, again, as the mixture will sputter and bubble up. Once combined, stop stirring and boil for 1 minute or until the caramel reaches 220°F. Remove from the heat, stir in the kosher salt and then pour into a heatproof separate bowl to cool to at least room temperature before using.
Step 2: Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, butter and sugar on medium speed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (butter mixture) in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting with dry and ending with dry. Mix for an additional 45 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners in the cavities. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Garnish as desired.
Step 3: Make the carrot buttercream: Combine flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk and cook for about 2-3 minutes to toast the flour. Slowly add the carrot juice, whisking to combine, and turn heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once simmering, cook for an additional minute. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Alternatively, spread the mixture onto a sheet pan, cover it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool it down faster. Ensure the mixture is completely cool, otherwise it will melt the butter. Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on high until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cooled carrot pudding mixture gradually, by the spoonful, while beating on low speed. Incorporating the mixture slowly ensures a smoother consistency. Add vanilla and salt, and mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round plain piping tip.
Step 4: Using a small paring knife or apple corer, core the centers out of the cupcakes, leaving half an inch of cake at the base. Pipe a ring of buttercream on top of each cupcake. Use a spoon or offset spatula to scoot any extra frosting away from the cored center. Pipe or spoon caramel into the center until it puddles up inside the ring of the frosting.
Top tips
- If your frosting “breaks” (looks grainy or curdled) mix in 50 grams of melted and cooled white chocolate for every 200 grams of frosting. This works for most frostings, especially those with add-ins that have the potential to break the emulsion.
- The buttercream’s flour, sugar and juice mixture can be made ahead of time as it needs to cool, but do not combine it with the butter until the day of. It spreads and pipes better fresh.
- Warm 2-3 tablespoons of the buttercream in the microwave for 10 seconds and slowly mix it into the rest of the buttercream to make it smoother.
- You can use an electric mixer for the frosting, if needed. It may take longer to whip the butter.
Recipe FAQs
Store the peanut butter caramel cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
This is not recommended as the recipe has not been tested with just egg whites. If you only have egg whites on hand, I recommend this white cake recipe that you can also make into a cupcake recipe.
Yes, but you need to replace it with another liquid, like milk or another juice.
Yes, this recipe will make 24 mini cupcakes.
This is not recommended.
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Lastly, if you make this Peanut Butter Caramel Cupcakes with Carrot Frosting be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Caramel Cupcakes with Carrot Frosting
Ingredients
Cinnamon nutmeg caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (85g) room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground
Peanut butter cupcakes
- ½ cup peanut butter (125g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature (53g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (187g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature (176g)
Carrot ermine buttercream frosting
- ¾ cups + 2 tablespoon granulated sugar (150g, 5.25 oz)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (31g, 1.1 oz)
- ¾ cups carrot juice (6 oz, 170g)
- ¾ cups unsalted butter (161g, 8 oz, 1 ½ sticks) room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Do ahead
- Grease a 12-cavity muffin pan or line with parchment cupcake liners.
Make the salted caramel sauce
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar is completely melted.
- When the sugar is completely melted, add the butter and stir with a whisk until combined. Be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble up.
- Once the butter is incorporated, stir constantly while gradually adding the heavy cream. Be careful, again, as the mixture will sputter and bubble up. Once combined, stop stirring and boil for 1 minute or until the caramel reaches 220°F.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the kosher salt and then pour into a heatproof container to cool to at least room temperature before using.
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with hand beaters, beat together the peanut butter, butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting with dry and ending with dry. Mix for an additional 45 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin/cupcake pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the carrot buttercream
- Combine flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk and cook for about 2-3 minutes to toast the flour.
- Slowly add the carrot juice, whisking to combine, and turn heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once simmering, cook for an additional minute.
- Transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Alternatively, Spread the mixture onto a sheet pan, cover it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool it down faster. Ensure the mixture is completely cool, otherwise it will melt the butter.
- Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on high until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cooled carrot pudding mixture gradually, by the spoonful, while still beating. Incorporating the mixture slowly ensures a smoother consistency.
- Add vanilla and salt, and mix until fully incorporated*. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round plain piping tip.
Assemble
- Using a small paring knife or apple corer, core the centers out of the cupcakes, leaving half an inch of cake at the base.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Use a spoon or offset spatula to scoot any extra frosting away from the cored center. Pipe or spoon caramel into the center until it puddles up inside the ring of the frosting. Garnish as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 04/25/2025.
This unexpected flavor combo is surprisingly delicious. Full disclosure, I am the author of the recipe.