Caramel Apple Cupcakes
These caramel apple cupcakes are studded with diced apples and topped with a generous swirl of caramel cinnamon buttercream frosting!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 465kcal
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Stir-ins
- 1 cup diced apple Granny Smith is preferred (about 1 medium to large apple)
Caramel cinnamon buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 Tbsp caramel sauce/syrup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce will work
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups powdered sugar whisked to remove any lumps
For serving
- apple slices
- additional caramel syrup
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients
- To a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside for now.
Beat wet ingredients
- In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), add softened butter, granulated sugar and oil. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, then beat until combined.
Combine wet and dry
- Add half of the dry ingredients mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients, beating until just combined.
- Add milk, and beat until combined. Add the last half of the dry ingredients, beating until just combined and no flour streaks remain.
Stir in apple
- Use a rubber spatula to stir the diced apples into the batter.
Bake
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs, or clean.
- Let cupcakes cool on a wire cooling rack until they're room temperature.
Make frosting
- Add butter, caramel sauce, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add in powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing on a lower speed to prevent the sugar from flying out of the mixer.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium, and beat for another minute or until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Frost and garnish cupcakes
- Transfer frosting to piping bag fitted with your desired decorating tip (or your desired tip), and once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes.
- **Alternately, you can spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes with a butter knife or offset spatula.**
- Garnish with a drizzle of caramel sauce/syrup and an apple slice if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 12 cupcakes, which you're free to divide into as many servings as you'd like.
- Times listed do not include the time to cool the cupcakes, as this will vary from person to person and home to home.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
