Apple Crisp Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist and fluffy homemade spiced apple crisp cupcakes with fresh apple pie filling, caramel cream cheese frosting and crunchy cinnamon oatmeal crisp topping.
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/4 C light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp all spice
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 2/3 C sour cream
Topping
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 2-3 Tbsp old fashioned oats
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 C apples
- 1 tsp lemon juice, optional, see notes
- 1/2 C apple cider, juice or water, see notes
- 1/4 C light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese , softened
- 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
- 4 C powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp caramel sauce, room temperature
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 11 paper liners.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time, followed by vanilla, salt, baking powder and remaining spices. Scrape bowl as needed. Alternate additions of flour and sour cream, mixing until fully combined and no streaks remain.
- Divide batter equally between prepared baking cups, using a large cookie scoop or filling roughly 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan until easy to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping
- In a small bowl, combine dry topping ingredients. Add in melted butter. Use a fork to toss and combine, creating no larger than pea sized balls of crumbs. Transfer to a clean rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes. Cool on pan. Set aside.
Filling
- Peel and chop apples into small chunks. Optionally, toss apples with lemon juice if the variety being used browns fast. Toss apples with sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Add to a saucepan along with apple cider. Cook over medium heat, tossing and stirring regularly. Continue cooking until apples have softened and liquid has thickened. If desired, use a potato masher to gently mash the apples into smaller pieces. Transfer mixture to a bowl to cool.
- When all prepared items have cooled completely, core and fill cupcakes. Using a sharp knife or cupcake corer, carefully remove the center of each cupcake. Do not cut all the way to the bottom. Trim off the bottom portion of the removed cupcake core. Set aside the top portion. Apples may be added to a small piping bag, plastic bag or spooned into cupcakes by hand. Fill each cupcake with apple pie filling and replace the top of the cake core back on each cupcake
Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in butter, mixing until well combined. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. Scrape bowl as needed. Lastly, drizzle in 3 tablespoons of caramel sauce. Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fit with desired piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Immediately top off with prepared oatmeal crisp topping.
- Store in an airtight container for up to several days or chill in the refrigerator. Bring cupcakes to room temperature prior to eating.
Notes
*Apples may be tossed in lemon juice if using an apple variety that browns quickly. It may otherwise be omitted.
*Apple cider, apple juice or water may be used when cooking the apples. Do not use apple cider vinegar. A jumbo round piping tip was used for this recipe. An original recipe from Baked by Rachel
*Apple cider, apple juice or water may be used when cooking the apples. Do not use apple cider vinegar. A jumbo round piping tip was used for this recipe. An original recipe from Baked by Rachel
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
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