Dulce de Leche Cupcakes are the recipe that Lucia makes every Cinco de Mayo when she wants individual desserts that are simultaneously as deeply caramel-rich and as completely sophisticated as any Latin American pastry and as completely approachable and convenient to serve to a large Cinco de Mayo gathering as any individual cupcake.
She bakes the most tender brown sugar cupcakes with sour cream and vegetable oil for the most extraordinary moistness, cores the center of each cooled cupcake with a cupcake corer, fills each cavity generously with the most thick and caramel-like dulce de leche, and pipes the most beautifully swirled dulce de leche buttercream over the top with a drizzle of extra sauce for the most completely festive and deeply satisfying Cinco de Mayo caramel cupcake that every person at the fiesta reaches for second.
Dulce de Leche Cupcakes are the most festive and deeply satisfying Cinco de Mayo cupcakes made with tender brown sugar sour cream cupcakes stuffed with dulce de leche caramel filling and topped with a silky dulce de leche buttercream frosting for the most completely authentic and individually gorgeous Latin American caramel cupcake experience. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful Cinco de Mayo recipes and festive Latin American celebration baking favorites from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes recipe is the Cinco de Mayo dessert that makes every fiesta guest feel genuinely and personally celebrated through the most completely unexpected and deeply satisfying surprise center of warm and creamy dulce de leche that is revealed at the first bite through each individually perfect cupcake. Stuffed cupcakes are the most impressive and completely delightful individual dessert format for Cinco de Mayo gatherings because every guest gets their own perfectly portioned and deeply filled caramel dessert without any slicing or serving complications.
The brown sugar in the cupcake batter rather than white sugar is the specific choice that produces the most naturally caramel-flavored and deeply complementary base for the dulce de leche filling. Brown sugar’s molasses content produces a warm and gently caramel-adjacent sweetness in the baked cupcake that harmonizes with the more intensely caramel flavor of the dulce de leche filling in the most completely natural and beautifully cohesive way. Our Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes make a beautifully equally festive and equally Cinco de Mayo-appropriate individual companion for a complete and vibrant Mexican fiesta cupcake spread.
Ingredients Needed for This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
For the Brown Sugar Cupcakes:
- 1¾ cups (220g) All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup (57g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75g) Full-Fat Sour Cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ⅔ cup (160ml) Whole Milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (85g) Dulce de Leche for filling
For the Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
- 1 cup (226g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (226g) Dulce de Leche
- 2½ cups (300g) Powdered Sugar, sifted
- Pinch of Salt
How to Make This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the room-temperature butter and packed light brown sugar until light and creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, room-temperature sour cream, and vegetable oil. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the room-temperature whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix only until the batter is uniform and smooth, cara mia. Do not overmix.
Fill the baking cups approximately three quarters full and bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack, and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before coring and filling.
For the dulce de leche buttercream frosting, beat the room-temperature butter using the paddle attachment until creamy, approximately 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners sugar until completely incorporated. Add the dulce de leche and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined. If the frosting is too thick add one to two tablespoons of milk. Transfer to a piping bag with the desired tip.
To assemble, use a cupcake corer, a paring knife, or the large end of a frosting tip to create a shallow hole in the center of each completely cooled cupcake, approximately one inch deep and wide. Fill each hole to the brim with approximately one to two teaspoons of dulce de leche. Pipe the buttercream frosting over each filled cupcake in the most generous and beautifully swirled pattern. Garnish with an additional drizzle of dulce de leche over each frosted cupcake for the most beautifully festive Cinco de Mayo presentation.
How to Serve This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Arrange these gorgeous Cinco de Mayo dulce de leche cupcakes on a beautiful tiered cupcake stand or a large festive platter for the most completely beautiful and inviting Cinco de Mayo dessert table presentation. The swirled buttercream with its warm caramel color and the drizzle of golden dulce de leche over each cupcake makes these genuinely one of the most beautiful Cinco de Mayo individual desserts imaginable.
Serve at room temperature or very slightly chilled for the most pleasant dulce de leche filling consistency. The filling is most perfectly soft and flowing when the cupcakes have been out of the refrigerator for approximately 20 minutes before serving. Our Margarita Cake makes a beautifully equally festive and equally Cinco de Mayo-worthy companion for a complete and vibrant Mexican fiesta dessert spread.
How to Store This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Store assembled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In warm or humid environments, refrigerate to prevent the frosting from melting. Freeze unassembled cupcakes wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before coring filling and frosting.
Tips to Make This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Use room-temperature butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk for the most evenly incorporated and smoothly blended cupcake batter. Cold ingredients do not mix properly and produce an inconsistent texture in the finished cupcake. Set all ingredients out at least 1 hour before beginning.
Use a thicker dulce de leche consistency for the most manageable and most beautifully clean cupcake filling. Thinner dulce de leche sauces can be difficult to contain in the cored center and may leak through the cake crumb during serving, creating a messy and less beautiful result.
Helpful Notes for This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Dulce de leche is typically found in the baking aisle near sweetened condensed milk or in the international foods aisle at most grocery stores. One 14-ounce can provides enough for both the filling and the buttercream frosting in this recipe. If unavailable locally, it can be made at home by simmering a sealed can of sweetened condensed milk in boiling water for 2 to 3 hours.
Light brown sugar rather than dark brown sugar is specified for the most pleasant and consistently smooth texture in the finished cupcake. Dark brown sugar can produce a slightly grainy texture in some cupcake formulas due to its higher molasses content.
Variation of This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
Maria made a version adding half a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for the most warmly spiced and completely extraordinary spiced dulce de leche cupcake that was deeply festive and beautifully complex for her Cinco de Mayo gathering. Teresa tried using chocolate cupcakes as the base instead of brown sugar for a chocolate dulce de leche stuffed cupcake that was deeply indulgent and completely irresistible for the most chocolate-loving Cinco de Mayo guests.
For the most complete Cinco de Mayo dessert experience, top each assembled dulce de leche cupcake with a slice of fresh strawberry and a sprinkle of sea salt for the most beautiful sweet-salty-fruity individual Cinco de Mayo dessert that tastes genuinely and completely extraordinary. Our Churro Cupcakes make a beautifully equally festive and equally individually gorgeous Cinco de Mayo companion for a complete and vibrant Mexican celebration cupcake spread.
FAQs About This Dulce de Leche Cupcakes Recipe
What is dulce de leche and where do I find it?
Dulce de leche is a South American caramel-like sauce made by slowly cooking sweetened condensed milk until it caramelizes into the most thick and deeply complex sweet and slightly salty caramel-adjacent flavor. It is found in most grocery stores in the baking aisle alongside sweetened condensed milk or in the international foods section. It is an essential and completely beloved ingredient throughout Latin American baking and is the most natural and festive choice for Cinco de Mayo desserts.
Can I make these cupcakes ahead for Cinco de Mayo?
Yes. The cupcakes can be baked and the frosting made one day in advance. Store both in the refrigerator separately and bring to room temperature before assembling and serving. Core, fill, and frost the cupcakes on the day of the Cinco de Mayo celebration for the most fresh and beautifully presented result.
Why does this recipe use both butter and vegetable oil?
The combination of butter and vegetable oil in the cupcake batter produces the most completely ideal texture result. Butter provides the rich and distinctive dairy flavor that makes these cupcakes taste genuinely homemade and deeply satisfying. Vegetable oil remains liquid at room temperature and keeps the cupcake crumb extraordinarily moist and tender for the full storage period.
Conclusion
These Dulce de Leche Cupcakes are the most completely festive and genuinely surprising Cinco de Mayo celebration cupcake that makes every fiesta guest feel genuinely and deeply delighted by the most completely unexpected caramel center and the most beautifully swirled dulce de leche buttercream in every single individually perfect and completely irresistible Cinco de Mayo caramel cupcake bite. We hope they bring the same deeply festive Latin American warmth and the same completely delighted gathering to your kitchen that they have always brought to ours. Make them, share them, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa.
Print
Dulce de Leche Cupcakes The Most Easy Stuffed Cinco de Mayo Caramel Cupcake You Will Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes including cooling
- Yield: 14 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most festive and easy Dulce de Leche Cupcakes perfect for Cinco de Mayo made with tender brown sugar sour cream cupcake batter of flour baking powder baking soda salt butter light brown sugar eggs sour cream oil vanilla and milk baked at 350°F for 15 minutes cored and filled with dulce de leche and topped with a silky dulce de leche buttercream of butter confectioners sugar and dulce de leche with extra sauce drizzle garnish. A completely extraordinary Cinco de Mayo stuffed caramel cupcake recipe.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups 220g All-Purpose Flour spooned and leveled
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup 57g Unsalted Butter room temperature
1 cup 200g Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs room temperature
1/3 cup 75g Full-Fat Sour Cream room temperature
1/4 cup 60ml Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2/3 cup 160ml Whole Milk room temperature
1/4 cup 85g Dulce de Leche for filling
1 cup 226g Unsalted Butter room temperature for frosting
2/3 cup 226g Dulce de Leche for frosting
2 1/2 cups 300g Powdered Sugar sifted
Pinch Salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat room temperature butter and brown sugar until light and creamy about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each.
5. Beat in vanilla, sour cream, and oil. Scrape bowl.
6. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk in three additions beginning and ending with flour. Do not overmix.
7. Fill cups 3/4 full.
8. Bake 15 minutes until toothpick clean.
9. Transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.
10. For frosting: beat butter until creamy about 2 minutes. Add sifted powdered sugar on low until incorporated.
11. Add dulce de leche and pinch of salt. Mix until combined. Adjust consistency with milk if needed.
12. Transfer to piping bag.
13. Core each cooled cupcake to 1-inch depth using corer or knife.
14. Fill each hole to the brim with 1 to 2 tsp dulce de leche.
15. Pipe buttercream over each filled cupcake.
16. Drizzle extra dulce de leche over frosted cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican American, Latin American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 374
- Sugar: 37g
- Sodium: 145mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 72mg
Keywords: dulce de leche cupcakes, Cinco de Mayo dulce de leche cupcakes recipe, stuffed dulce de leche cupcakes brown sugar, easy caramel cupcakes Cinco de Mayo
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