Skip to Content

Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes

The Fall season is right around the corner and all the yummy seasonal candies are out in the stores already!  I posted a link to my Fall Recipe Round-Up that I put together last year and I’ll be adding all of this year’s recipes to it as I make them.  This Caramel Apple Milky Way cupcake is the first one of the season!

I saw a bag of new mini Milky Way candy bars at the PX last week… Caramel Apple in flavor.  Interesting… very interesting, I thought.  But once I popped one in my mouth, the combination of smooth caramel and the apple flavored nougat all covered in chocolate I knew I needed to make a cupcake!

So, I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe for the cupcake, filled with the chopped apples covered in caramel sauce and topped it with a caramel buttercream, caramel drizzle and a Caramel Apple Milky Way bar.  I’ve done some apple cupcakes in the past, but none with a chocolate base…. GENIUS I tell you!!  DELICIOUS even more!

So… run to Target and find a bag of these and make these cupcakes!  Perfect transition into Fall flavors!

Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes

Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes

Yield: 12-16 cupcakes

Perfect cupcake to transition into Fall! Chocolate cake filled with caramel apples topped with caramel buttercream, caramel sauce and a Caramel Apple Milky Way bar!

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup strong coffee
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Caramel Apple Filling

  • 2 Gala apples (or your favorite), diced/chopped
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, loose
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (optional - I didn't have any time time, but I really recommend it if you have it!)
  • 1 Tbsp flour

Caramel Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1.5lbs powdered sugar
  • 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3-4 Tbsp caramel syrup (I used Smuckers)

Garnish

  • Caramel syrup
  • Caramel Apple Milky Way bars, halved

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and sour cream.
  4. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Add the coffee, cocoa and vanilla and whisk together. Cook for 2 minutes until cocoa has melted and you have a smooth consistency.
  5. Slowly pour a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into the egg/sour cream and whisk until combined. You're tempering the egg with this step. Add the remaining chocolate and whisk until combined.
  6. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet. Whisk together until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  7. Pour batter into cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake about 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. Use an apple corer or core out the center of each cupcake.

Caramel Apple Filling

  1. In a large frying pan, melt the butter.
  2. Add the apples, sugars, cinnamon and lemon. Mix until combine and the sugar is completely melted. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. You don't want it to burn, but you want the apples to get semi-soft, but not mushy.
  3. Add the flour and mix until the sauce on the apples thicken.
  4. Remove from heat, transfer to a glass bowl and allow to cool completely.
  5. Fill each cored cupcake with the apple filling.

Caramel Buttercream

  1. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
  3. Add the caramel sauce until you reach your desired consistency. Beat on high for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Top each cupcake with a swirl of buttercream.
  5. Garnish with with a drizzle of caramel sauce and the halved Milky Way bars.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Heather @Boston Girl Bakes

Sunday 4th of September 2016

YUM! I am including these in my new post this week- a Milky Way Chocolate Poke cupcakes- to share some more great Milky Way recipes from other bloggers!!

Sonia

Thursday 1st of October 2015

This recipe is amazing! The combination of these flavors- bitter chocolate, slightly sour apples, and super sweet buttercream. I'm in heaven. And I don't even like apples! Genius!

My Year of Cupcakes

Monday 21st of October 2013

I have a cupcake blog called My Year of Cupcakes. I featured your Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes recipe on Day 80. I see the link posted on your page already (comment #12), but I wanted to stop by and say thanks for the great recipe!

Betsy Eves

Wednesday 23rd of October 2013

What a fun project! Thanks for making my cupcakes! I'm going to check out the first 79 days of cupcakes!

My Year of Cupcakes

Monday 21st of October 2013

Sorry, trackback #12! Thanks again!

The Cake Lovers (@thecakelovers75)

Tuesday 1st of October 2013

Great looking cupcake you got there.

Betsy Eves

Tuesday 1st of October 2013

Thanks so much!

Vera Zecevic-Cupcakes Garden

Tuesday 11th of December 2012

What a mouthwatering treat. Your cupcakes look awesome.I've featured this recipe on my blog, hoping that you don't mind, but if you do, please contact me and I'll remove it. All the best.

Skip to Recipe