Sea Salt Caramel Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 12-count cupcake pans and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix.

In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend butter, sugar and vanilla seeds at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add a cup of the flour mixture followed by 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat this 3 times, until you have incorporated all the flour and buttermilk.

Spoon batter into greased cupcake pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before removing them from the pans.

For the salted caramel sauce:

Heat brown sugar, cream, butter and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk gently for about 5-7 minutes until it has thickened. Add vanilla and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes then pour into a jar. You’ll use 1/2 cup of this for the frosting. Store the rest in the refrigerator until you use it.

For the frosting:
Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix until incorporated. Turn your mixer on high for about 5 minutes. Pipe or spread onto the top of the cooled cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Sauce recipe from Ree Drummond, The PioneerWoman.