These Caramel Apple Cupcakes are completely homemade and well worth the effort. They're the perfect Fall dessert, bake sale item and Thanksgiving Dessert!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apples, caramel, cupcakes
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 18cupcakes
Calories 468kcal
Author Georgetown Cupcake for the Today Show
Equipment
mixing bowls
whisk
spatula
stand mixer or handheld mixer
muffin tins
piping bag and large round piping tip
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
2 ½cupsall-purpose flour
3teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonsalt
16Tablespoonsunsalted butterat room temperature
2cupssugar
4largeeggsat room temperature
⅓cuphot water
2 ½cupsfreshly grated Gala apples4 to 5 medium-size apples
FOR THE VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
4Tablespoonsunsalted butterat room temperature
4cupsconfectioners
¼teaspoonpure vanilla extract
6ouncescream cheeseat room temperature for the caramel
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly on medium speed, after each addition. It's important to add them one at a time so that they will completely incorporate into the batter and you don't put too much weight on your batter at once. This would collapse all the little air bubbles you created when you creamed the butter and sugar.
Reduce the speed to low. At this stage, it's always important to mix as slowly and as little as necessary since you don't want to traumatize your batter. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add 1/3 of the hot water, beating until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by 1/3 of the hot water. It's important to add the flour and water little by little like this, so that your batter does not have too much weight thrown on it and that you allow each amount of flour and water to completely mix into the batter. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining hot water, and beat just until combined.
Using a spatula, fold the grated apple into the batter. Take care not to overmix the batter. If you overmix the batter, the cupcakes will not be light and fluffy but instead very dense.
Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each baking cup with batter, so the cups are 2/3 full.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. After 5 minutes, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely for approximately 20 minutes.
FOR THE VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until well combined. Be sure to beat at high speed at the very end for at least 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.
Fill a large piping bag with a large round icing tip and swirl the frosting onto the cupcakes.
GARNISH CUPCAKES:
Use a fork to drizzle the caramel sauce over the cupcakes.