Caramel Apple Cupcakes

It’s back to school time in our house and I wanted to do something special for Emily’s teacher as a way to kick off the school year! I have been craving the scents of Fall so I knew an apple Cupcake would be in order! I found a great recipe by I Heart Cuppycakes and thought I’d give it a whirl! I made a few slight changes and got a super delicious cupcake!

These cupcakes are an apple cupcake with chunks of apple, filled with a homemade caramel then topped with a cream cheese frosting and decorated with sugar crystals, mint and pretzel stick!  So cute!

JavaCupcake’s Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Adapted from I Heart Cuppycakes
http://iheartcuppycakes.com/2008/10/06/aye-1-caramelappleautumn/

Makes 16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For apple cupcake
3 medium granny smith apples
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

For caramel
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

For cream cheese frosting
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

pretzels
green & red sprinkles

mint leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

To make cupcakes—

1. Preheat oven 350F.
2. Rinse, cut in half and core the apples. Place them on an ovenproof pan or baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 35-45 minutes until soft.
3. Remove the apples from the oven, let cool slightly, then remove peel and mush the apple with the back of a fork. Measure out 1 cup of apple mush and set aside to cool.
4. Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.
5. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Add the cooled apple mush and mix just to combine.
6. Add the flour and apple juice in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX!
7. Scoop into cupcake papers about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees, then bake 3-5 more minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make caramel—

1. Measure sugar, water and corn syrup in a large pot and stir just to combine ingredients.
2. Turn to medium-high heat and without stirring, bring sugar mixture to a boil.  Boil 10-15 minutes until sugar turns an amber color.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the butter with a whisk. Be careful, it’s HOT and the caramel will bubble!
4. Wait about 30 seconds and slowly stir in the heavy crème.
5. Scrape sides of pan and mix until thoroughly combined.  Pour into a heat safe glass bowl/measuring cup to cool.

To make frosting—

1. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese.
2. Add vanilla and mix to incorporate.
3. One cup at a time, add the powdered sugar mixing after each. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

To assemble cupcakes—

1. Fill cupcakes with caramel using this method.
2. Top the cupcake with frosting in a rounded shape.
3. Roll cupcake in green sprinkles to cover the frosting.
4. Break off pretzel and stick into the top to resemble a stem. Insert a mint “leaf” in the frosting near the stem.