When it comes to dessert, reach for simple recipes like these spiced apple cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting, and get ready to indulge in your favorite fall flavors!
There is something about autumn that makes me want to break out all the simple recipes, sweets included, and get in the kitchen all day long.
Those spicy notes wafting through the air, filling up my home with scrumptious delight, who could resist?
No one, that’s who!
These spiced apple cupcakes are super fun because I got a little creative with the ingredients in order to get a fully-flavored cake that’s also moist.
So What’s Going On Here?
- If you use applesauce as a binder alone, you lose the apple flavor, so in this recipe I used applesauce in addition to eggs, so that the eggs act as a binder and the applesauce acts as a flavor enhancer.
- Apple juice is used to add moisture, as well as increase apple flavor.
- Spices like cinammon and nutmeg are essential, but can be swapped for others like allspice and clove, or the amounts changed to suit your personal tastes.
Since I was really experimenting here, I maybe drank a glass or two of spiked apple juice, for confidence and good luck, ha!
I was very pleased with how these spiced apple cupcakes turned out, because baking is all about precision when it comes to the ingredients, and dropping the ball and creating a mess is definitely my specialty.
What Flour-Measuring Method Should I Use?
There are three methods of measuring flour that can be utilized in most any recipe out there:
- Weight Measure: when extreme precision is required, like for macarons, pull out the scale.
- Spoon-and-Level: generally the gold standard of measuring flour, you simply scoop out flour and plop it gently in the measuring cup, then level it off. It tends to incorporate a little less flour overall.
- Scoop-and-Dump: this method is fairly straightforward. Just push that measuring cup into the bag of flour, shake off the excess, then dump it into the mixing bowl. This tends to add more flour than the other methods.
For this recipe, I went with the scoop-and-dump, because there is already a fairly large amount of liquids and moisture available, I felt that it would be better offset with a smidge more flour.
I could never consider these spiced apple cupcakes as complete without some caramel cream cheese frosting, which is another simple recipe that comes together in a snap! The creamy, sweet-yet-not-too-sweet frosting is the perfect complement to the delicately spiced apple-ness of the cupcakes.
Appleness? Can that be a thing? Can I make it a thing? Yes?
Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For The Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 24 M&Ms for topping
For The Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 16 oz powdered sugar
- ½ cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees, then line 24 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups or grease cups with shortening.
- In large mixing bowl on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, around 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs until thoroughly incorporated, then slowly add the applesauce, apple juice, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, then add it to the wet ingredient in three batches, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them about ¾ full, and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy, then slowly mix in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Add the caramel sauce and gently stir to combine. Frost each cupcake, then top with some M&M's and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Originally posted: September 13, 2014. Updated: October 12, 2018
Sarah Averett says
I love the cream cheese and caramel duo. Salty and sweet is my favorite!
Jessica says
You had me at cream cheese frosting. These are perfectly divine and just scream FALL!
GMK Khalsa says
I made these and noticed a few things that I had to change. One is that you didn’t put a vanilla measurement in your ingredients so I put in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Also, I found that these were still raw after 15 minutes of baking so I added an additional 10 minutes. Mine didn’t rise as lovely as yours pictured but they were still good and my party guests loved them. Also, since I didn’t have caramel sauce to add to the frosting, I zested the peel of one lemon into the frosting and it was delicious.
Rosemary@anitalianinmykitchen.com says
Oh my gosh everything I love, including m & ms and caramel topping. Thanks for linking up at the Project Parade Linky Party #15. Rosemary
Lou Lou Girls says
Hello gorgeous! What an amazing recipe. Oh Yum! Pinned. We hope to see you at our party tonight at 7 pm. It is so fun to party with you! http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
Joanne T Ferguson says
G’day! Great photos and yum!Thanks for sharing at our #SayGdayParty!
Please remember to stop back if you haven’t already and say G’day to the hosts and someone else at the party!
Cheers! Joanne @ What’s On The List Pinned!
heather @french press says
thi totally screams fall, and I hear ya on the weather after a scorching summer and early fall, I love a dark and stormy day
Jill says
Oh, my, yum! What a fantastic sweet treat for fall!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
Those look really yummy, I love apple. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says
Wow, I am totally in lust with these cupcakes, And can I tell you that I think it’s freaking awesome that you topped them with candy corn M&Ms? Love it!! Pinning!
Amanda @ Adorkablii says
These look super yummy!!! I am not huge into eating baked goods but I sure do love making them and I will be sure to add this to my list of ones I want to make.
Deann says
Oh my! They look so delicious! As a work at home mom, I really wanted to try baking! Do you have any recommendations on how to bake using a turbo broiler?
Joanna Sormunen says
What a yummylicious recipe! And the pics are such a delish! These are just perfect for the season!
Ann Bacciaglia says
I want one of those now! The caramel cream cheese frosting sounds delicious.
Risa says
They look and sound delicious! I could almost smell the spiced apples. I tend to eat my recipes while I’m making them too…
FamiGami says
I love caramel and cream cheese! Put them together on a cupcake and I’m in heaven!
Danielle says
I have never had apple cupcakes but I will say these look so good. I would love to try these.
Mrs. Mashed Up says
Those look yummy! And guess what I just bought? Apple juice and sauce! Love the lower-sugar baking alternative!