This Caramel Apple Cupcakes recipe is the perfect treat for fall! An apple and spice infused cupcake base with fluffy homemade caramel buttercream frosting!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We love a good fall cupcake recipe! Cupcakes are cute, the decorating options are endless, and they are a great way to showcase seasonal flavours and themes. We love serving cupcakes to family and friends, especially for events and celebrations. These Caramel Apple Cupcakes are the perfect addition to all your fall or harvest parties!
We love sharing our favourite sweet treats with you here on The Busy Baker, so here’s a list of our favourite cupcake recipes we know you’ll LOVE:
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Best Ever Chocolate Cupcake Recipe From Scratch
- Chai Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting
- Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Birthday Cake Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
To make these delicious caramel apple cupcakes with caramel buttercream you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup milk
- 2 apples, cut into small chunks
For the Caramel Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup caramel sauce (or dulce de leche)
- 5 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- a pinch of sea salt
My absolute favourite kitchen tool for making cupcakes like these is a traditional KitchenAid mixer. I have THIS ONE (paid link), and it is by far my favourite kitchen appliance of all time. I don’t have a kitchen bursting with kitchen tools, but I’m not sure I could live without my stand mixer since I use it almost daily!
If a stand mixer is way out of your league then this hand mixer (paid link) is the next best thing. They really do a great job and though they do require a little more work on your part, they definitely get the job done in style!
You’ll also need these items (paid links):
- a good mixing bowl
- a wooden spoon
- a silicone spatula
- measuring cups for dry ingredients
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups for liquid ingredients
- a cupcake scoop or ice cream scoop for portioning the batter
- disposable piping bags and piping tips
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Follow our top cupcake baking tips for the perfect cupcakes!
- Use paper liners.
Cupcakes always turn out best when the baking tin is lined with paper liners. This will prevent sticking.
- Don’t peel the apples.
I don’t bother peeling the apples because, well, I hate peeling (it’s my least favourite kitchen chore), but leaving the peel on also creates a really nice appearance to these cupcakes.
- Avoid over-mixing.
Gently stir the apple chunks into the batter just until they’re distributed evenly throughout. Don’t over mix or your cupcakes will be dry.
- Add the milk and dry ingredients alternatively.
For a cupcake batter that’s well mixed but not over-mixed, alternate adding the milk and dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition.
- Cool the cupcakes before frosting.
Cool the cupcakes completely before adding the frosting or the frosting will melt and make a big mess.
- Beat the butter well for an ultra creamy caramel buttercream frosting.
Make sure you beat the butter for several minutes until it’s pale in colour before adding the other frosting ingredients. This will ensure the frosting is extra creamy and fluffy.
Can you freeze cupcakes?
Yes, although we recommend freezing cupcakes without the frosting. When you’re ready to serve, thaw the unfrosted cupcakes, add the frosting, then serve.
How long do cupcakes last?
Frosted cupcakes keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
How long to bake cupcakes?
Most cupcakes bake in about 20-23 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
How many calories is a cupcake?
Most standard cupcakes contain between 300 and 400 calories, depending on the size.
How to frost cupcakes?
We recommend frosting cupcakes using a piping bag and tip, swirling the frosting on top of the cupcake in a circular motion working your way from the outside toward the centre of the cupcake.
We hope you love this cupcake recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cupcake recipe for fall? We’d love to know!
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Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Recipe: Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup milk
- 2 apples cut into small chunks
For the Caramel Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup thick caramel sauce or dulce de leche divided
- 4 cups icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 pinch sea salt
Recipe: Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare muffin or cupcake tins with paper liners for 18 cupcakes.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix them together on medium-high speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger and whisk these ingredients together with a wire whisk. Add half the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix on low speed just until combined. Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture and then the remaining milk. Be very careful not to over-mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly.
- Chop the apples into small chunks and add them to the cupcake batter. I don’t bother peeling the apples because, it creates a really nice appearance to these cupcakes.
- Gently stir the apple chunks into the batter just until they’re distributed evenly throughout and spoon the batter into the 18 muffin cups you’ve prepared with paper liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for 25-28 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. They’ll puff up nicely in the oven and they’ll be a nice golden brown colour when they’re done (use the toothpick test, just to be sure!).
- Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and set them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- While the cupcakes are cooling, you can begin to prepare the frosting by adding 1 cup of unsalted butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter on high speed for about 2-3 minutes or until you notice it is very creamy and smooth and it turns pale. Add 1/2 cup of the caramel to the butter and mix these together on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth.
- Once the caramel and the butter have been combined add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Once all the icing sugar has been added and the mixture is smooth, add the pinch of salt and add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and whip the frosting on high speed until it becomes fluffy and light.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes in a circular motion (only once they’ve cooled to room temperature!).
- Drizzle the leftover 1/4 cup of caramel sauce onto the top of the frosting for decoration.
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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I love how you garnished these, they are so pretty!
Thank you!!😊
Yum! I'd love one of these yummy beautiful little apple cupcakes Chrissie! Love the apple chip. We have yet to go apple picking at our house…it's on the list!!!
Thanks!