Easy Apple Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
The sweet apple flavor and the tart blueberry filling of these apple blueberry cupcakes are what make these cupcakes exceptional. A light and fluffy brown sugar vanilla batter with cinnamon-flavored apples give these cupcakes a caramel-like sweetness.
If you love apples and blueberries, then you are going to love the flavor combination in these cupcakes. They are perfect for the fall season.
I use frozen blueberries because that's what I can get here. Therefore, I can make them pretty much any time during the year. And, of course, we are lucky to have apples all through the year.
About these cupcakes
Whether you call these cupcakes apple blueberry or blueberry apple these are moist and delicious. With the classic combination of apple and cinnamon as well as, apple and blueberries.
The cupcake recipe is fairly simple using the classic baked from scratch creaming method. The blueberry filling is sweet and delicious which my kids can eat out of a bowl. I have shared a video on how I make my blueberry filling so feel free to watch the video. For, the frosting I have used the classic cream cheese frosting which has butter in it but you are welcome to use my no-butter cream cheese frosting if you want a more cheesy flavor.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Blueberry - You can, of course, use fresh blueberries, canned, or frozen. I'm using frozen.
If you use frozen or canned -please check if sugar has been added and adjust the sweetness in your recipe accordingly. - Apples - I used the sweet gala apples. And yet, any variety works excellent. The granny smith apples are usually a bit more tart. So the apples you choose determine the taste of your cupcakes.
- Brown sugar - I love how apples and brown sugar blend together to create an almost caramel-like flavor. But you are free to use white sugar in your recipe (same quantity).
- Spices - I love adding cinnamon during the year. And yet, pumpkin spice in fall adds so much warmth to these cupcakes.
- Cream cheese frosting - I think cream cheese works great with these cupcakes. But Swiss or Italian meringue buttercreams are also a treat.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Bake cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
- Line your muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.
- Peel and core the apple then chop them finely
- Add 2 tbsp flour to the apples and set aside (this will prevent apples from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes)
- Swift together - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Followed by the vanilla extract
- Alternate the flour mixture and sour cream into the batter
- Scrape the bowl to ensure you have a smooth batter.
- Lastly, fold in the apples - do not over mix.
- Divide batter between the 12 cupcake wrappers
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160 C / 320 F for about 18 to 20 mins.
- Cool completely before you decorate.
Blueberry filling
- In a saucepan - add blueberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl - add cornstarch to 3 tbsp water (or use some of the blueberry juice) - set aside
- Place the saucepan on medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the cornstarch slurry - cook on low until thickened.
- You want the blueberry filling to be shiny and glossy not opaque.
Cream cheese frosting
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
- Add vanilla extract and salt.
- Start adding powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Mix well with each addition so you have a light and fluffy whipped cream-like consistency.
- Place the cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star tip.
Decorate the cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are cooled.
- Core out the center with an apple corer. (as shown in the video)
- Place a teaspoon of blueberry filling in the center.
- Pipe with cream cheese frosting (as shown in the video).
- Top with a fresh blueberry
12 Tips for baking perfect cupcakes
- Follow the recipe properly with minimum substitutions.
- Always use good quality ingredients.
- Make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature.
- Never over-mix the batter.
- Use a scoop for baking similar size cupcakes.
- Always preheat the oven before baking - a hot oven works best for cupcakes.
- Bake cupcakes at the right temperature.
- Always bake cupcakes on the center rack one tray at a time.
- Never open the oven during baking - no peeking.
- Remove cupcakes from their pan no later than 7 to 10 minutes after baking.
- Store cupcakes properly after baking. Place them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cupcakes dry in the fridge unless wrapped properly with plastic wrap.
- Simple syrup the cupcakes if you don't plan to eat them on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
These apple cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 2 days. If wrapped well they will keep in the fridge for up to a week. And up to a month in the freezer
Baking perfect cupcakes is not hard to achieve if you follow the above 12 tips for perfect cupcakes.
Moist fluffy cupcakes are all about adding volume to your batter when mixing. Which means that knowing how to mix your batter is important.
Over-mixing the batter can collapse the cupcakes, thus taking away all that fluffiness. As a rule of thumb, cream butter and sugar until the sugar has almost melted - 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, and make sure each one is well incorporated.
Then, add the flour and liquid - but mix until just incorporated. It is easy to over mix at this stage.
There are a few things you can do - we discussed it in this post -- how to avoid cupcake liners peeling after baking.
There are few things you can do to bake similar size cupcakes - we discussed that in detail here - How to bake same size cupcakes.
You can place cupcakes in the fridge for a few minutes to cool them quickly. I like to place them for just 5 to 7 minutes in the freezer.
Never leave cupcakes in the fridge open for long as they will dry out.
I like to bake at 160 - 170 C, or 310 to 325 F, or Gas mark 2 - 3.
Depending on how hot your oven temperature is, cupcakes usually take between 18 to 22 minutes. If your cupcakes bake quicker than 18 minutes or longer than 22 minutes, it's probably best to check if your oven needs calibration.
What other frostings can I use instead of cream cheese buttercream?
Oh, these cupcakes are delicious with just about any frosting. I have shared with you more than 30 different buttercream flavors here on the blog but these are just a few suggestions.
- Butter-based buttercream – simple all-purpose buttercreams like my velvet American buttercream, vanilla buttercream (eggless).
- Decorators buttercream – often with all or some vegetable shortening to prevent the frosting from melting easily like my bakery style frostings – vanilla and chocolate frosting.
- Cream Cheese based – made with cream cheese often with or without butter like my classic cream cheese is made with butter which adds more stability and my no-butter cream cheese frosting when you want a more luxurious dessert type frosting.
- Meringue buttercream – made with the addition of whipped egg whites. Less sweet than the classic butter-based buttercream like my Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue.
- Egg-based buttercream – like the French Buttercream and German buttercream made with egg yolks then whipped to make a light and fluffy frosting with the addition of butter.
- Whipped Cream Frosting – the lightest of them all is, of course, simple whipped cream. I shared 5 different methods to make whipped cream at home. As well as a whipped cream buttercream frosting.
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Apple Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
For the Cupcake Batter
- 160 grams (1.28 cups) All-purpose flour
- 175 grams (0.74 cups) Light brown sugar
- 170 grams (0.75 cups) Butter unsalted
- 2 (2 ) Eggs large
- ½ cup (½ cup) Buttermilk
- 1 cup (1 cup) Apple 1 large apple
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Cinnamon
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Baking powder
- ¼ tsp (¼ tsp) Baking soda
- ⅛ tsp (⅛ tsp) Salt
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Vanilla extract
Blueberry Filling
- 1 cup (1 cup) Blueberries
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Sugar
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Cornstarch
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Lemon juice
- ¼ tsp Salt
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 grams (0.5 cups) Butter unsalted
- 225 grams (1 cup) Cream cheese
- 375 grams (3.13 cups) Powdered sugar or confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
Bake Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
- Line your muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.
- Peel and core the apple then chop them finely
- Add 2 tbsp flour to the apples and set aside (this will prevent apples from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes)
- Swift together – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Followed by the vanilla extract
- Alternate the flour mixture and sour cream into the batter
- Scrape the bowl to ensure you have a smooth batter.
- Lastly, fold in the apples – do not over mix.
- Divide batter between the 12 cupcake wrappers
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160 C / 320 F for about 18 to 20 mins.
- Cool completely before you decorate.
BLUEBERRY FILLING
- In a saucepan – add blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl – add cornstarch to 3 tbsp water (or use some of the blueberry juice) – set aside
- Place the saucepan on medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the cornstarch slurry – cook on low until thickened.
- You want the blueberry filling to be shiny and glossy not opaque.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
- Add vanilla extract and salt
- Start adding powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Mix well with each addition so you have a light and fluffy whipped cream-like consistency.
- Place the cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star tip.
DECORATE THE CUPCAKES
- Once the cupcakes are cooled.
- Core out the center with an apple corer. (as shown in the video)
- Place a teaspoon of blueberry filling in the center.
- Pipe with cream cheese frosting (as shown in the video).
- Top with a fresh blueberry
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Sarah @ TheFitCookie
I've never made filled cupcakes before - I should try that! Those would definitely be a lot of fun to make, especially with the fruit filling 🙂
Veena Azmanov
I'm kinda addicted to filling my cupcakes Sarah.. I love the added extra inside..
Arlene Mobley
Veena you share the best cupcake recipes! I love the filling. Filled cupcakes are so much fun. You get a little surprise with each bite.
Veena Azmanov
Aww thank you Arelene - I love cupcake recipes - Exactly - I love Filled cupcakes.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Cupcakes with a little surprise in the middle are so nice. Love the combination of these along with the cream cheese frosting.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Gloria..! Yeah I love to have these little surprises in side too!
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
These cupcakes sound heavenly delicious, Veena. I admire your baking skills. I really do. These look fantastic! Love the blueberry filling and cream cheese frosting. Just perfect combo in apple flavored cupcakes.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Matalie. Really appreciate your kind words. I do love baking and creating new baking recipes especially trying new combinations.!!
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I'm loving the addition of the blueberry filling in these cupcakes. I bet they taste amazing!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Stephanie.. I love the filing too!
Brandi Crawford
These look absolutely delicious! I love the apple and blueberry combo.
Veena Azmanov
Me to Brandi, such a fav combo
Fiona Saluk
These look wonderful! I totally agree with you about pumpkin pie spice adding a certain 'warmth' that cinnamon alone doesn't quite add. Thanks for the recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Yeah love pumpkin spice especially in those fall months
Melissa
The blueberry filling sounds amazing! My kids would love these.
Veena Azmanov
I'm sure they would Melissa - Thanks
Choclette
Ooh, these look so pretty with the two tone frosting and I like the purple surprise within too.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Choclette.. Me too love blueberry frosting.
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival
I was so surprised to see the blueberry filling when I got to it! How pretty!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Beth..yeah it's a lovely surprise.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
Lov the hidden blueberry in these cute cupcakes, so yummy! Also cream cheese frosting is just the best
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Bintu. yeah me too. love cream cheese frosting.
Luci's Morsels
Yum! These look delicious! I love the combination of apple and blueberry!
Veena Azmanov
me too Luci Thanks
kristina @ love & zest
I'll take mine with an extra dollop of cream cheese frosting, or better yet, I'll lick the bowl. Best part of making desserts, IMO.
Veena Azmanov
That is so true.. Best part of making dessert is licking the bowls..