Go Back
+ servings
Caramel apple cupcake on wildwildwhisk.com
Print Recipe
4 from 2 votes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

These Caramel Apple Cupcakes are the perfect treats for Autumn, and a twist on the beloved caramel apples. The sticky homemade Dulce de Leche filling gives them an extra special touch.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: All, American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Trang

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • cup granulated sugar
  • teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup apple butter – room temperature
  • ½ cup buttermilk – room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg – room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese – room temperature
  • 4 oz unsalted butter – room temperature
  • ½ – ¾ cup dulce de leche
  • ½ cup dulce de leche for filling the cupcakes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a regular size cupcake pan with cupcake liner.
  • Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Put all the wet ingredients, apple butter, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl and beat to combine.
  • Slowly pour the flour mixture into the liquid while mixing at slow speed. Mix only until combine, use a spatula to scrape any flour on the side of the bowl and mix up anything at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Divide batter equally among 12 cups.
  • Bake at for 17 minutes until an inserted toothpick in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
  • Remove cupcakes from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
  • For the frosting, cream the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
  • Add dulce de le che and mix until combined. Start with ½ cup of dulce de leche and add more to taste. If the dulce de leche is too thick, warm it up so it can flow easily, then mix it with the cream cheese and butter. Refrigerate the frosting.
  • To assemble the cupcakes, use a paring knife to cut a hole about ½” diameter and about ¾” deep in each cupcake. Save the small pieces.
  • Add the dulce de leche for the filling to a pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag), snip the end (or corner) of the bag. Fill the holes of the cupcakes with about ½ teaspoon of dulce de leche.
  • Place the little piece of cupcake you cut out earlier back into the hole on top of the filling. It will stick out, but the frosting will cover it.
  • Add the cold frosting to another pastry bag fitted with the star tip, top cupcakes with frosting.

Notes

You can use applesauce if you don’t have apple butter.
The apple butter I used already has spices in it, cinnamon and cloves. So if you use non-spiced applesauce, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to your cupcake batter, and/or other spices as you please.

Nutrition

Serving: 77g | Calories: 418kcal