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Saffron Cupcakes with Red Wine Caramel Sauce
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5 from 2 votes

Saffron Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Red Wine Caramel

Indian-inspired cupcakes spiced with saffron, cream cheese frosting and a red wine caramel sauce
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: cupcakes
Servings: 24
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Puja

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • ¾ cup butter 1 1/2 sticks
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp amaretto
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp saffron
  • 1 ¼ cups milk

For the Frosting

  • 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
  • ¼ cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of saffron

For the Red Wine Caramel

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ¼ cup red wine anything you like to drink

Instructions

For the Cupcakes Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners (This recipe should make 21 to 24 cupcakes)
  • Heat 1/4 cup of the milk to a little warmer than lukewarm (doesn’t have to be any particular temperature just has to be warm) and add the saffron. Let soak while you prep the rest of the batter.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the butter (Preferably with an electric beater or stand mixer. Unfortunately, my mixer broke and I tried to do this with a hand whisk. Needless to say, my arm hurt and I didn’t get very far. I ended up using my immersion blender. It worked surprisingly well!)
  • Add sugar and beat until creamy and well mixed.
  • Add the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter and sugar mixture.
  • Add in the vanilla, amaretto, milk and saffron milk.
  • Mix in the flour mixture. Beat for about 30 to 60 seconds, until well blended.
  • Pour the batter into each section of the cupcake pan, filling them about 2/3 way full.
  • Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick down the middle of a cupcake. It’s done if it comes out clean.

Instructions For the Frosting

  • Beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy.
  • Add the powdered sugar in batches and whisk in until well blended.
  • Add in the vanilla and saffron.

Instructions For the Red Wine Caramel

  • In an heavy bottomed pot, mix the water and sugar.
  • Let cook over medium heat until the mixture turns golden brown. Do not stir. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Add in the wine and stir. It will foam up but don’t worry about this. Just carefully stir through it.
  • If you have some crystals, stir till they dissolve. Otherwise, turn off heat. Let cool for a couple minutes and drizzle over the cupcakes.

Finishing Up

  • Frost the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and pour a spoonful of red wine caramel over. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt, if you like salted caramel.

Notes

Recipe is adapted from Amy Sedaris’s Vanilla Cupcakes in her book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg