Apple spice cupcakes with salted caramel frosting are a great anytime cupcake, but especially in the fall! These fall applesauce cupcakes feel like a warm hug with applesauce in the batter along with cozy spices like cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Additional Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cinnamon cupcakes, apple cupcakes, apple spice cakes, apple spice cupcakes, apple spice cupcakes with salted caramel frosting, applesauce in cupcakes, cupcakes with applesauce, fall cupcakes, gluten free apple cupcakes
Servings: 14-16 cupcakes
Author: Beth
Ingredients
APPLE SPICE CUPCAKES
2cupsall purpose flour
1tspbaking soda
1 ½tspbaking powder
½tspsalt
1tspcinnamon
½tspcloves
½tspallspice
1stickunsalted butter, room temperature1/2 cup
1cupbrown sugar
2largeeggs
1 ½cupsunsweetened applesauceor any type of applesauce
Salted Caramel Frosting
2sticksunsalted butter, room temperature1 cup
⅓cupjarred caramel sauce
¼tspsaltuse table salt in the frosting and extra course salt on top if desired
2cupspowdered sugaror more for taste preference
dash of milk or heavy cream if frosting becomes too thick
Instructions
Apple Spice Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin pan with liners, set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Mix to combine and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the room temperature butter and brown sugar, beat using an electric mixer until combined & creamy, about 30-60 seconds.
Add in the eggs, beat again.
Add in the applesauce, lightly beat.
Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing by hand with a spatula until it’s just incorporated. The batter will be thick.
Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Salted Caramel Frosting
Place room temperature unsalted butter, caramel sauce and salt in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium and beat the butter for 1 minute, until whipped and fluffy.
Add in the powdered sugar, beat again on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is incorporated.
If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream, and beat until creamy.
In a plastic piping bag (or ziplock bag) fit with a piping tip (I used a wilton 1M) add the frosting. Push the frosting down into the bag. Twist the top of the bag closed, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in a circular motion. Drizzle with caramel sauce and add an apple chip if desired.
Notes
The post above answers questions on how to make frosting, how to make gluten free cupcakes, how to freeze cupcakes, and how to properly measure flour.