Banana Sticky Toffee Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

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Heavenly sticky toffee cupcakes loaded with bananas, a caramel surprise in the centre and topped by a velvety, salted caramel buttercream frosting. Oh my word, yes please!!

We adore Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel and Roast Pecan Sauce and I have had a lot of feedback suggesting we are not the only ones, so I decided to turn them into cupcakes. On the basis of, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, I have used the exact same recipe for the cupcakes as the puddings but added some caramel in the centre and a silky smooth salted caramel frosting. Charlotte’s boyfriend Harry, decreed these were the best cupcakes he had ever eaten!

We all need quick, no fuss recipes, so I decided to use a pre-made caramel to make this super quick. I haven’t made this with any other caramel, so cannot vouch for other options, although other makes of tinned caramel made from condensed milk, should be work perfectly.

Tin of Caramel

This recipe makes 6 cupcakes and uses ½ a tin of caramel. If you are looking for inspiration to use up the remaining ½ a tin of caramel, why not try my Salted Caramel Macaroons?

How to make Banana Sticky Toffee Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Collect all your ingredients for the Banana Sticky Toffee Cupcakes together:

Quick, easy and whipped up in just one bowl.

• pecan nuts – replace with the same weight in flour if you are allergic
• finely chopped dates
• unsalted butter, at room temperature
• dark brown sugar
• egg
• plain/all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• fine salt
• treacle
• vanilla extract
• very ripe banana

First make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven and scatter the pecan nuts for the cake and the 6 extra for decoration on a baking tray and roast for 7 minutes, stirring them after 4 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, weigh in the butter, sugar, egg, flour, baking powder, salt, treacle and vanilla extract.
3. Finely chop the dates and add to the mixing bowl.
4. Mash the banana and add to the mixing bowl.
5. When the nuts have cooked, remove the 6 pecans you need for decorating and then pulse the remainder in a mini food processor until they are finely ground.
6. Add the ground nuts to the mixing bowl.
7. Beat with an electric whisk until fully combined. – the batter may look like it is separating a little but don’t worry – it cooks up perfectly!
8. Fill a muffin tray with 6 muffin liners and divide half of the cupcake mix between them. Add between ½ – 1 teaspoon caramel to the centre of each cupcake.
9. Top with remaining cake mix, covering the caramel.
10. Cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until cooked.
11. They are cooked when:
    • the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
    • a toothpick inserted into the centre of the sponge comes out clean.
12. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

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Make Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Collect all your ingredients for the frosting together:

Quick, easy and also whipped up in just one bowl. Make the frosting when the cakes have completely cooled.

• 65g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 135g Nestlé tinned caramel
• 200g icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

How to make the frosting:

1. Put the butter into a mixing bowl with the caramel and half the icing sugar. Quickly fold together and then beat well with an electric whisk. NB If the butter is a little hard, beat first before adding the remaining ingredients – it will make a lot less mess!
2. Fold in remaining icing sugar and then beat with the whisk again until completely mixed in and light and fluffy. Fold in the salt, taste and adjust, if necessary.

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Decorate the Cakes:

Do not add the icing to the cakes until the cakes are completely cooled.

1. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream.
2. Pipe into the cupcakes in a swirly pattern or simply spread on with a knife.
3. Decorate with some whole roasted pecan halves

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.