Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful apple cupcakes, bursting with warm apple chunks and a hint of cinnamon. Topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, they are the perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsourded applesauce
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup finely diced apple (such as Gala or Honeycrisp)
- For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2–3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, whisk together applesauce and buttermilk.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in the diced apple.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in vanilla extract and cinnamon.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and well combined. Add more powdered sugar if a thicker consistency is desired.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them generously.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can add a pinch of ground ginger to the cupcake batter.
- Ensure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: PT25M
- Cook Time: PT20M
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Protein: 3g