Caramel Apple Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These delicious caramel apple cupcakes are topped with an adorable fondant apple - the perfect dessert to kick-off fall! Cupcake Recipe adapted from Bourbonnatrix Bakes, via Baked Explorations
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¾ cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 and ¼ cups sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups applesauce
  • ½ cup caramel bits (optional)
Frosting:
  • 3 sticks (1 and ½ cups) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 pounds confectioners sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup caramel sauce
Instructions
Cupcakes:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, about 4 minutes.
  5. Add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about another 3 minutes.
  6. Add the egg and mix until combined.
  7. Add ⅓ of the flour to the butter mixture, then half the applesauce, another ⅓ of the flour, the rest of the applesauce, then the rest of the flour, mixing between each addition until combined.
  8. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low speed for a few seconds.
  9. Fold in the caramel bits.
  10. Scoop ¼ cup of the batter in each of the cupcake liners.
  11. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops spring back, and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Frosting:
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth,fluffy, and well combined.
  2. Add sugar and salt, and slowly beat together.
  3. Add cream and vanilla, and beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes.
  4. Add caramel sauce, and beat to combine.
  5. Spoon frosting into a large piping bag, and frost as desired.
Recipe by Lemon Sugar at http://lemon-sugar.com/caramel-apple-cupcakes/