Jenn and I planned to make caramel apple cupcakes without even chatting about it first! I guess those Fall flavors are just in the air and we’re ready to get baking!! Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg… OH MY!
You may remember the Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes I made before! I brought them to my first Cupcake Camp and they were a HUGE success! My very first recipe I came up with on my own from scratch! I knew I didn’t want to make these caramel apple cupcakes exactly the same, but some elements of it I knew were too good to pass up.
I started these Caramel Apple Cupcakes with the same pan cooked chopped apples that I used with my Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes. Sugar, apples, lemon, and spices cooked on low heat to create a ooey gooey apple filling. Seriously, I could eat it by the spoonful.
Apple Mixture
Makes about 2 cups apple mixture
3 Granny Smith apples, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp hot water + 1 tbsp corn starch
- Over medium high heat, mix together all the ingredients in a frying pan on the stove.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes. Stirring frequently.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Apple Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup apple mixture
1 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the apple mixture and mix on low until just combined.
- If mixture is too thick, add a tbsp of heavy cream to smooth out.
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1lb powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp caramel syrup
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add the cream to loosen.
- Mix in the caramel syrup and mix until smooth.
- Beat on high for 30 seconds, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again.
- EAT!
Apple Cupcakes
Makes 18 full size cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup apple mixture
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, juice and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the flour to the wet mixture and mix together just until combined.
- Fold in the apple mixture.
- Fill regular size liners about 2/3 full. Fill mini liners 1/2 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate pan after 12 minutes of baking.
- Cool in pans for about 7 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- After cool, cut a cone out of the center of each regular size cupcake. Trim off the bottom of the cone.
- Core out the center of each mini cupcake using an apple corer.
- Fill each cupcake with the cream cheese apple mixture. Replace to tops of the regular size cupcakes only. (I used a small ice cream scoop to fill the regular size cupcakes and a piping bag to fill the mini’s)
- Top with caramel buttercream and then rim with your favorite topping. (Nuts, candy, sprinkles, caramel sauce)
- Insert popsicle stick or lollipop stick into center of cupcake.
