Caramel has always been a little intimidating to me. It’s probably the one recipe that I have ruined the most. I have a permanent scar on my thigh to prove it. Don’t ask.

But, lucky for me, this caramel recipe is almost fail-proof. You don’t need a candy thermometer and there are only five ingredients. Super easy. The only issue that still remains – if you don’t read the instructions thoroughly before you get started, you may not be prepared for the next step and time is of the essence whenever you are making caramel or candies.

You can use this caramel sauce in cupcakes, as an ice cream topping, or you can even blend it into ice cream using an ice cream maker to create the most amazing salted caramel homemade ice cream. One other way I have used this is one in my caramel brownie recipe. There are seriously endless options, especially if you are a caramel lover like me!

Salted Dark Caramel Sauce

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Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon filtered water
• 12 tablespoons salted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream, room temp
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce (TRUST ME!!!!)

Directions

	{Combine the heavy cream and the soy sauce into the same bowl and set aside.} To start, pour the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Heat on medium high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar completely liquefies. Stir constantly and be careful not to burn the sugar.
	After all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and vanilla extract to the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Once the butter has melted and the butter and sugar are completely mixed together, remove from heat.
	Immediately add in the heavy cream/soy sauce mixture until you reach a beautiful golden brown caramel color.
	Set aside and let cool and thicken for 5 minutes at room temperature. Freeze for 20 minutes (or longer) to thicken further before using on cupcakes. Refrigerate up to 3 months.

Note

Before you get started, make sure all ingredients and tools are in arms reach. Read instructions thoroughly first before you start. It's so easy to mess up if you don't know what comes next, because you have to work so quickly.