Fall Caramel Apple Cupcakes
If you’re the kind of person who waits all year for apple season, these Fall Caramel Apple Cupcakes are calling your name. They start with a rich, spiced pound cake base and are packed with tender caramel apples, then topped with a caramel buttercream and a final drizzle of caramel for good measure. Basically, they’re everything you want in a fall dessert, wrapped up in cupcake form.
Why you’ll want to make these: the cake is buttery and soft, with just enough spice to feel like fall. The caramel is homemade and used three ways, folded into the buttercream, mixed with warm apples, and drizzled on top. It takes a little extra effort, but the result is an insanely good cupcake that tastes like a bite of warm apple pie crossed with caramel cake.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overfill: Stick to about 2/3 full for each cupcake liner so they rise evenly without spilling over.
- Use a thermometer for caramel: Hitting the 240°F mark ensures it thickens properly without becoming grainy.
- Cool completely before frosting: If the cupcakes are even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt right off.
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Fall Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the caramel sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 teaspoon rum extract
- 2 apples peeled and finely diced
- caramel for drizzling
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F(175°C). Fill a cupcake tin with wrappers.
For the cake:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla and combine.
- In a separate bowl mix together the all dry ingredients, except for the flour. Alternately add flour and sour cream to the mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Fill each cupcake wrapper 2/3 full and bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
For the caramel sauce:
- Add the brown sugar and water into a small pot, stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 240° F, remove from heat.
- Add the butter, salt, and heavy cream and stir together. Let cool to room temperature. Add the rum extract. Pour half the caramel sauce into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and leave half in the pot.
- Peel and dice the apples and add to the pot. Cook until the apples are tender.
For the buttercream frosting:
- Add the butter into the bowl with the remaining caramel sauce. Beat until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating until combined between each addition. Then turn the speed on the beater up to high and whip for five minutes or until fluffy.
- Core the cupcake and fill with apple mixture. Frost with the buttercream and drizzle with caramel.
The flavor was good but the texture came out like a muffin I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Pam, I’m sorry that the texture was off for you. It is a slightly different cupcake recipe with the sour cream and cream cheese.