Caramel Apple Cupcake
When the weather starts to cool down, all I want to bake are cozy and warm desserts and a caramel apple cupcake for me just hits the mark. This recipe puts together the sweetness of caramel with warm spices and crunchy apple chips that is all you may possibly want in a cupcake. They will sure be a hit whether you're looking for a cozy treat at home or to bring them for a crowd.
Ingredient Overview
Here's a closer look at some key ingredients that bring this caramel apple cupcake to life:
- Apples: You can use any good baking apple (like Honeycrisp or Gala) but since they are used grated in the cupcake batter, you can really use anything you have at hand.
- Sour Cream: It's used to make the batter a bit more acidic but can be substituted with full fat Greek yogurt if you don't have it at hand.
- Spices: I like to use a mixture of cinnamon, cloves and ginger but you can also add a pinch of nutmeg and all spice here to bring up the warmth.
- Caramel: This caramel recipe is a bit different than usual, since you add the butter in the first step for caramelization. Once the butter is melted and the mixture starts bubbling, make sure you don't stir or disturb the pan until the caramel is ready to avoid crystallization.
- Heavy cream: When adding heavy cream to the caramel, make sure it's not super cold as this can lead to some unwanted hardened bits in the sauce. It's best to use it either at room temperature or slightly warmed up.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Make the Salted Caramel (can be made in advance)
Cook sugar and water until dissolved, then whisk in butter. Let it turn to a light amber color before carefully adding heavy cream and salt. Set aside to cool. The sauce will be used in both the cupcake batter and in the frosting.
Step 2: Prepare the Apple Cupcake Batter
Cream butter and sugar. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Add eggs and sour cream to the butter, then the dry ingredients, grated apples, and a spoonful of caramel until the batter is smooth. Spoon into cupcake liners, filling two-thirds full.
Step 3: Bake the Cupcakes
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Beat butter until creamy, then add powdered sugar and milk. Mix in salted caramel until smooth and fluffy.
Step 5: Assemble
Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and decorate with a caramel drizzle and dried apple slices for a bakery-style finish.
Tips for Success
- Grate apples finely so they blend into the cupcake batter without sinking.
- You can make the caramel ahead to save time. Keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks, but bring it to room temperature before using.
Ingredients
For the salted caramel
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- ¼ cup water 60ml
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113g
- ½ cup heavy cream 120g
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cupcakes
- 3 small apples, peeled Honeycrisp or Gala
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature 120g
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon salted caramel
For the frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 2 cups powdered sugar 240g
- ¼ cup milk 60g
- 2 tablespoon salted caramel
Instructions
For the caramel
- Place the sugar and water in a deep saucepan over low heat.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the butter. Wait for the butter to melt, then increase the heat to medium. Cook without stirring until the mixture gets to a light amber color (about 15 minutes). Be careful because it will foam.
- Add the cream and salt, and stir well to dissolve everything.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes to thicken the mixture, then remove from heat. Set aside.
For the batter
- Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grate the apples on a grater with a coarse grater.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter with sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and sour cream and mix to combine.
- Then, add the mixed dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally, added the grated apples and caramel sauce and mix to combine.
- Fill the cupcake liners until they are ⅔ full and bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
For the frosting
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and light.
- Add the powdered sugar, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed until combined.
- Add the salted caramel and beat until combined with the remaining frosting.
For assembly
- Use a piping bag with your favorite tip (I used Wilton's 1M) and frost your cupcakes.
- Decorate with a slice of dried apple and a little caramel drizzle.
Notes
- You can make a darker caramel by simply letting it caramelize for a little bit longer before adding the cream. Just make sure it doesn't burn!
- When you add caramel sauce to the buttercream it can throw the powdered sugar amount a bit off (specially if you measure the caramel with heart, like I did). If your buttercream looks split or too runny, simply add more powdered sugar and whip until it gets to the consistency you'd like.
- While you can make the caramel way ahead of time, I suggest letting it come to room temperature before drizzling over the cupcakes, as it can get a little bit too stiff right off the fridge.
- You can also adjust the spice amount if you think it's too much or too little. It also works well with pre-made spice blends like chai, egg nog apple pie or pumpkin spice. Use whatever you like best!
- This recipe yielded 10 jumbo cupcakes that are about 50% bigger than a regular cupcake. For regular cupcakes, it would likely yield about 15-18 cupcakes, depending on how large you like them.
- The buttercream and sauce can be used in many other recipes, and both also freeze very well! So you can double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for some other recipe that goes well with caramel!
Serving Ideas
Serve with a side of warm apple cider or as a treat on a Thanksgiving potluck dinner.
Variations
- Apple Pecan Cupcakes: Add chopped pecans to the batter and sprinkle some on the top for a nice crunch.
- Caramel Apple Cake: Bake it in a 9x13-inch pan instead of cupcakes. Swirl the frosting on top (make a double batch of frosting if you want it to be extra!) and drizzle the caramel on top.
Storage
Keep apple cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for 5 days.
Freeze unfrosted cupcakes also in airtight container for up to 2 months and frost before serving.
