These caramel apple cupcakes are a fall favorite! Moist, easy-to-make cinnamon apple cupcakes are topped with rich caramel frosting for a sweet seasonal treat.
4-6Tablespoonscaramel sauceplus extra for final drizzle
⅛teaspoonground cinnamon
1-2apples, sliced for garnish on top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare muffin pan by lining with cupcake liners.
Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until fluffy and lighter in color, usually about 3-4 minutes.
Add in the vanilla extract and the sour cream. Mix well.
Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Pour in the milk, stirring with a spatula prior to finishing with an electric mixer. This will prevent splashes.
Add half of the flour mixture, mix well, then add the remaining flour mixture. Make sure the flour is well incorporated but do not overmix the batter.
Fold in the apple chunks.
Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners making sure to not fill them above ¾ full.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. To check for doneness, a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out relatively clean- small crumbs sticking to the toothpick are okayfine!
Remove cupcakes immediately from pan and cool on a wire baking rack.
Caramel Frosting
Place softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Mix in half of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated.
With mixer still running, add 4 tablespoons of caramel sauce.
Add in the remaining confectioners’ sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
Finish by adding cinnamon and mixing until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add more caramel sauce. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
When cupcakes are fully cool, prepare frosting for piping. Using a piping bag, cut a hole in the bottom and insert a large piping tip, pushing it to the bottom of the bag. Fold the top edge of the piping bag down and set it upright into a measuring cup. Fill with frosting.
Pipe the caramel frosting onto the top of the cupcakes.
Drizzle the cooled cupcakes with additional caramel sauce and a slice of apple that has been drizzled with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Notes
RECIPE TIPS
Bring all the cupcake ingredients to room temperature. Set them out about an hour beforehand. This will help the batter to be smoother and the cupcakes will be light and airy and not dense.
Don't overmix the batter or it will cause the cupcakes to be dense instead of fluffy.
Remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool them. Leaving them in the pan will cause them to be overbaked and dry them out.
For the fresh apple garnish, toss the apple slices with lemon juice to help prevent them from turning brown. Let them sit in the juice for a couple of minutes then dry them. Also, don't put them on the cupcakes until just prior to serving.
For an extra caramel touch, drizzle caramel sauce over the cupcakes.