Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream

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The rich flavor of maple syrup and the light caramel flavor from the brown sugar are what make these brown sugar maple cupcakes extra special. And, if that wasn’t enough, we topped it with my incredible maple buttercream and drizzled more maple syrup. A surprisingly simple and easy recipe to make.

Cupcakes with maple buttercream frosting on a wooden stand. — Fall-inspired cupcakes with Maple and Brown Sugar

Don’t you just love the combination of maple and brown sugar? It screams fall. In fact, in the fall, I treat any vanilla desserts with a bit of maple. So, my vanilla cupcakes become maple cupcakes, and my vanilla buttercream becomes maple buttercream. It also works perfectly in these cupcakes.

The secret to making a good maple treat is quality. Good quality maple syrup, not an imitation. You want the syrup to be thick and rich in flavor. So, buy a brand you trust. Also, remember we don’t use a lot of maple syrup, so the little we do use has to be very good.

About these cupcakes

I made these brown sugar and maple syrup cupcakes for my Aadi’s school friends last year for the Christmas party. And, the kids would not stop raving about it. The rich flavor of maple, combined with the brown sugar, has a wonderful, subtle caramel flavor.

The cupcake recipe is my oil-based vanilla cupcake recipe. A simple and easy recipe that whips the eggs so the cupcakes are light and airy. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes to mix and about 18 minutes to bake. Make sure to cool the cupcakes completely before you frost them, or the frosting will melt.

Of course, the best way to enhance the flavor of maple syrup is to make a maple buttercream frosting. And yet, you could just as well use any other frosting, even my holiday special eggnog buttercream frosting. I have over 30 different buttercream flavors here on the blog that you may like to try, such as velvet American buttercream, Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue, French Buttercream, and German buttercream.

Maple cupcakes on a tree stump stand. — Fall-inspired cupcakes with Maple and Brown Sugar, topped with Maple Frosting

Ingredients and substitutes

Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour, plain flour (maida) for most of my cakes and cupcakes. This is easily available and usually always on hand in most households.
Canola oil – Any cooking oil will work as long as it has no flavor. That way, it won’t affect the flavor of the cupcakes. For example, olive oil has a strong olive oil smell, which we definitely don’t want.
Sugar – I prefer to use white sugar so it won’t alter the color of my cupcakes. And yet, feel free to use the same amount of light brown sugar. I would not recommend dark brown sugar.
Eggs – We have only one egg in this batch, so make it a good, large egg.
Buttermilk – You can make buttermilk at home, and it takes just five minutes – here’s how to make homemade buttermilk in 5 mins.

Easy maple cupcakes

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 325°F/ 165°C / Gas Mark 3.
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg with sugar until light and fluffy.
Pro tip – Whipping the eggs with sugar will give a light and airy cupcake.
Add the oil and maple syrup, and whip for a minute. Then, add the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Pro tip – Do not whip too long when you add the oil. It will deflate all the volume we just whipped up.
Finally, add the flour mix and combine until smooth (continue to use the whisk attachment).
Pro tip – Do not over-mix the batter once you add the flour; we do not want to activate any gluten.
Divide the batter between 12 to 15 cupcake liners.
Pro tip – Depending on how large the egg is and how much volume you manage to whip into the mixture, you may get between 12 and 15 cupcakes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Pro tip – Most cupcakes take between 20 and 22 minutes, but these are lighter, so they bake quicker. I suggest checking at about 18 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Pro tip – Always frost cupcakes only when they cool completely; otherwise, the frosting will melt.

Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, maple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, and cornstarch for a minute until smooth
Start adding the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is in, continue to whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Pro tip – If you find the buttercream is gritty or stiff. Add a tablespoon more maple syrup or milk.

Frost cupcakes

Put the frosting in a piping bag with a star tip or similar. Pipe a generous swirl over the cupcakes.
Drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup (this is optional). Decorate as desired. I used some whole spices.
Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

How long will these cupcakes keep?

These cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 2 days. If wrapped well, these can be kept in the fridge for a week. Never leave cupcakes in the fridge open for long, as they will dry out. Personally, I prefer to freeze them for longer.

How to prevent cupcake liners from peeling after baking?

There are a few things you can do, as I explained here, to avoid cupcake liners peeling after baking.

My cupcakes don’t bake evenly. Why?

There are a few things you can do, as I explained here, on how to bake the same-sized cupcakes.

Can I make this eggless vanilla cupcake recipe?

This recipe works best with eggs, but I do have an eggless vanilla cake recipe that works beautifully if you substitute the liquid with maple syrup.

Cupcakes with maple frosting on a wooden stand.

Veena Azmanov