Description
Caramel apple cupcakes blend classic autumn flavors into a delightful dessert that whispers comfort and nostalgia. Moist spiced cake topped with silky caramel frosting and crisp apple chunks creates an irresistible treat you’ll crave all season long.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 0.75 cup (180 milliliters) milk
- 1 cup finely chopped apple
- 0.25 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 0.25 cup (60 milliliters) vegetable oil
Dry Ingredients:
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.125 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
Sweeteners and Flavor Enhancers:
- 0.25 cup (52 grams) sugar
- 0.5 cup (112 grams) packed brown sugar
- 0.75 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) sour cream
Buttercream Ingredients:
- 1.25 cups (280 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 cups (575 grams) powdered sugar
- 4–6 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- Additional caramel sauce, for drizzling
- Apple slices, for decorating
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350°F and arrange cupcake liners in a baking pan.
- Whisk together flour, leavening agents, aromatic spices, and seasoning in a medium mixing vessel.
- Cream butter, vegetable oil, and sugars in a large bowl until the mixture transforms into a light, airy consistency.
- Incorporate vanilla essence and tangy dairy product, ensuring thorough blending.
- Introduce eggs individually, thoroughly integrating each and scraping bowl edges between additions.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with milk to maintain smooth texture.
- Delicately incorporate finely diced apple fragments into the batter, distributing evenly.
- Distribute batter into cupcake liners, filling approximately three-quarters full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until a test skewer emerges clean from the cupcake’s center.
- Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack, allowing complete temperature reduction.
- Whip softened butter until silky and uniform in a spacious mixing bowl.
- Gradually introduce powdered sugar, blending meticulously after each addition.
- Fold caramel sauce and warming spice into the buttercream, creating a rich, aromatic frosting.
- Adjust buttercream consistency with additional caramel or sugar as needed.
- Once cupcakes have thoroughly cooled, elegantly pipe caramel-infused frosting atop each.
- Embellish with a cascading caramel drizzle and a delicate apple garnish.
- Preserve cupcakes in a sealed container within refrigeration for 2-3 days, returning to ambient temperature before serving.
Notes
- Precision matters when measuring ingredients to ensure the perfect texture and flavor of these delightful cupcakes.
- Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, creating a lighter, more consistent batter that bakes evenly.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent tough, dense cupcakes – mix just until ingredients are combined.
- Choose crisp, tart apples like Granny Smith for the best balance of sweetness and texture in the recipe.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting and losing its beautiful shape.
- Drizzle caramel sauce just before serving to maintain the sauce’s glossy appearance and prevent soggy frosting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 47g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 61mg