Caramel Apple Cupcakes Recipe
These spiced Apple Cupcakes are made with brown sugar, apple butter, and apple pie spice for a wonderful blend of cozy and comforting fall flavor. Then, they’re topped with my new favorite buttercream frosting - a fluffy and creamy miso caramel frosting along with an extra drizzle of miso caramel to bring you that caramel apple vibe!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple cupcakes
- ½ cup apple butter homemade or store bought, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice cinnamon will also work
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Miso caramel frosting
- 6 oz unsalted butter room temperature
- 10 tablespoons miso caramel room temperature, divided, reserve ¼ cup for topping
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the apple cupcakes - In a large mixing bowl, add apple butter, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat with a whisk until thoroughly combined.½ cup apple butter, ½ cup whole milk, ½ cup vegetable or canola oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add sugar - Add brown sugar and beat again until completely incorporated.⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- Add dry ingredients - Sift flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and baking powder into a small mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to distribute evenly. Add the dry ingredient mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix gently with a whisk or a spatula until combined and no trace of flour remains.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat the oven - Let the cupcake batter rest while you preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake - Line 12 muffin cups from 1 standard size muffin pan with cupcake liners and divide cupcake batter evenly among the 12 cups. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Cool - Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the pan and allowing them to cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting.
- Make the miso caramel frosting - Add softened butter and 6 tablespoons (113 g) of miso caramel to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for just a couple of minutes until the mixture is thoroughly combined and creamy.6 oz unsalted butter, 10 tablespoons miso caramel
- Add sugar and beat until fluffy - Add powdered sugar and stir to combine. Then gradually increase the mixer speed and beat until the frosting is lighter in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.¾ cup powdered sugar
- Decorate the cupcakes - Using a pastry bag fitted with an open star (1M) tip, pipe a double ring of miso caramel frosting around the outer edge of each cupcake, leaving the center hollow. Spoon about a teaspoon of the remaining miso caramel into the center to fill the space.
Notes
- Miso caramel substitution: you can use 10 tablespoons (188 g) of any caramel sauce (homemade or store bought), and stir in 2 ½ teaspoons of white miso paste to make miso caramel. I use Marukome premium white miso paste.
- Serve: best served at room temperature within 2-3 days.
- Storage: store your caramel apple cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 77g | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
