Caramel Apple Cupcakes
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Your friends and family will love my Caramel Apple Cupcakes! We start with a lightly spiced apple cake, and then top them with homemade salted caramel buttercream, a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce, and a handful of chopped peanuts. These are perfect for a Halloween party or any fall gathering.
Caramel apples have always been a favorite fall treat for me. I pick them up in the produce section every year at this time, and I've even made them myself! I especially love the kind that are covered with crushed peanuts. It's such a great flavor combo and I love all the textures too!
Check out my "Caramel Apples" post for a great how-to, plus video!
This recipe is a moist apple cake on the bottom, with just a hint of cinnamon to bring out the fall flavors. Super-simple to make and they bake up perfectly every time. You can use any kind of apple that holds up well for baking, but my favorites are Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
Next comes the buttercream. This is an American-style buttercream, made with butter and powdered sugar. But, we are adding a magic ingredient: salted caramel sauce!
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They taste just like fall, with cinnamon, brown sugar, and real shredded apple baked right into the cake.
- The buttercream is full of real caramel flavor because homemade caramel sauce gets whipped right in.
- Chopped peanuts add crunch and a bit of salt, which keeps the sweet caramel from tasting too plain.
- This recipe makes 18 cupcakes, plenty for a party, bake sale, or school treat table.
- The cake is simple to make. Just stir the batter together; no mixer needed until it's time for the frosting.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
For the apple cupcakes
- All-purpose flour: You can substitute bread flour for this portion if you're out of AP flour, but it will slightly affect the cake's final texture.
- Cake flour: This gives the cupcakes a finer crumb and lighter texture. If you don't have cake flour, you can use the same amount of all-purpose flour, but the cupcakes will turn out a bit more dense.
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens the cake and adds a hint of caramel flavor. Be sure to pack it lightly when measuring.
- Ground cinnamon: Freshly ground cinnamon tastes best, but your typical jar works, too. Just make sure it is relatively fresh and hasn't been in your spice cupboard since the 2010s!
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the cupcakes rise.
- Kosher salt: Don't sub in table salt. It contains iodine and can add unwanted flavor to the end result. It also doesn't measure 1:1 with Kosher salt.
- Oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist.
- Apple cider: Adds apple flavor.
- Large eggs: Bind the batter.
- Vanilla extract: Use the real deal stuff here. No imitation vanilla allowed.
- Lemon zest: Brightens the cake. You need the zest from about 1 lemon.
- Shredded apple: This is what gives the cupcakes their apple flavor and keeps them moist. You'll need about 1 ½ medium apples, peeled and cored. Any baking apple works, but I like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp best.
For the caramel sauce and buttercream
- Heavy cream, unsalted butter, kosher salt, and vanilla extract: These make up the warm cream mixture for the caramel. Adjust the salt to your taste. Add a bit more or less depending on how salty you want it.
- Granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and water: You'll cook these together until they turn amber to make the caramel base. The corn syrup helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
- Unsalted butter, softened: Whipped into the buttercream.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream. Make sure it is fresh! Powdered sugar goes stale relatively quickly.
- Kosher salt (optional): Add an extra pinch to the buttercream, to taste.
- Salted peanuts, finely chopped: The garnish on top.
How To Make Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Step 1: Bake the Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 325°F and line your cupcake tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk the oil, apple cider, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest together.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute.
Fold in the shredded apple.
Divide the batter evenly among all 18 lined cupcake wells.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding any toppings.
Step 2: Make the Caramel Sauce
In a small pot, gently heat the cream, butter, and salt until the butter melts and the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
In a larger pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high, swirling the pot occasionally so the heat spreads evenly.
Keep cooking until the bubbles get smaller and the sugar turns a deep amber color.
Turn the heat down to low and slowly pour in the warm cream mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumps or crystals.
Immediately pour the hot caramel into a heat-safe container and let it cool completely.
Step 3: Make the Buttercream and Top the Cupcakes
In a large bowl, whip the softened butter, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt (if you like) until pale and very fluffy.
Add about three-quarters of the cooled caramel sauce and whip until fully combined.
Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a jumbo open star tip and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes.
Drizzle the cupcakes with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Let the caramel cool all the way. If it's even a little warm when you add it to the butter, the butter will melt, and the frosting will turn runny.
- Save about a quarter of the caramel for drizzling. Don't mix it all into the buttercream.
- Keep an eye on the sugar. Swirl the pot instead of stirring, and take it off the heat when it's amber and the bubbles are small.
- Pour in the cream slowly, and whisk constantly so the caramel stays smooth and doesn't crystallize.
- Choose a sturdy apple. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp both work well.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting, or the buttercream will melt.
- Use a jumbo open star tip. It gives you that tall, bakery-style swirl on top.
Ingredients
For the apple cupcakes
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar,, lightly packed
- â…” cup (83.33 g) cake flour*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking owder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- â…“ cup (74.67 g) oil
- â…“ cup (78.67 g) apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) lemon zest, (zest from about 1 lemon)
- 1 ½ cup (187.5 g) shredded apple**
For the toppings
- ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream
- 2 ½ tablespoons (36.97 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) anywhere from ¾ kosher salt, (up to 1 teaspoon, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 18 tablespoons (266.16 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- optional: additional pinch of kosher salt,, to taste
- â…“ cup (48.67 g) salted peanuts,, finely chopped
Instructions
To make the apple cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and line cupcake tins with papers.
- Place the flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the oil, apple cider, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest in a large liquid measuring cup, and whisk to combine.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and mix together on medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Fold in the shredded apple.
- Divide the batter equally between all 18 lined wells of the cupcake tin.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely before topping and garnishing.
To make the toppings:
- In a small pot, gently heat the cream, butter, and salt until the butter has melted and the salt has completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
- In a larger pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over a medium high flame, swirling the pot occasionally to distribute the heat evenly.
- Continue to boil the sugar mixture until the bubbles begin to get smaller and it becomes amber-colored.
- Reduce the heat to low, and pour in the warm cream mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps or crystals.
- Immediately transfer the hot mixture to a heat-safe vessel and cool completely.
- Place the butter, powdered sugar, and additional salt (if using) in a large mixing bowl and whip together until pale and very fluffy.
- Add about ¾ of the cooled caramel sauce, continuing to whip until well incorporated.
- Transfer the caramel buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a jumbo open star tip.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes, drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce, and top with chopped peanuts.
Notes
Author
More Cakes and Cupcakes
Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:
HELLO. I DONT LIKE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR PLUS ITS SO EXPENSIVE. CAN YOU GUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE TO IT PLEASE.
SHABINA
This recipe does not call for apple cider vinegar. It calls for apple cider, which is just the unfiltered juice of apples.
I noticed for the buttercream you are only using 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Â I usually use 4 +cups for regular buttercream. Â Just wanted to make sure that is right. Really want to try this recipe.Â
It's right. The frosting is also sweetened with salted caramel sauce.
I tried these cupcakes, and I used the cake flour and all-purpose as instructed; however, I noticed the cupcakes didn't rise. Could this have been because of the type of apple that I used (McIntosh)?
Hey Bethanie! Sorry to hear you had some trouble. Was your apple very juicy? It's possible if it was very wet it could have weighed down your cupcakes. Maybe next time try straining the apple for a few minutes before adding it in to the batter.
What a lovely fall treat!
What an indulgent treat for this time of year! Sounds perfect!
The best of fall flavors are going on in these caramel apple cupcakes! They look so delicious!
Novice baker..first time caramel maker! Everything came together beautifully.
Wonderful! I'm so glad it worked out well for you. Thanks for the great feedback!