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.

Table of Content

• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions (pin)
• 12 Tips for baking perfect cupcakes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe

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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

1. Follow the recipe properly with minimum substitutions.
2. Always use good quality ingredients.
3. Make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature.
4. Never over-mix the batter.
5. Use a scoop for baking similar size cupcakes.
6. Always preheat the oven before baking - a hot oven works best for cupcakes.
7. Bake cupcakes at the right temperature.
8. Always bake cupcakes on the center rack one tray at a time.
9. Never open the oven during baking - no peeking.
10. Remove cupcakes from their pan no later than 7 to 10 minutes after baking.
11. 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.
12. Simple syrup the cupcakes if you don't plan to eat them on the same day.

Frequently asked questions

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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You may also like

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• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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• Gingerbread Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

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Printable Recipe