Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Caramel
Make the most delicious pumpkin spiced apple cupcakes topped with melt in your mouth sweet Swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with caramel frosting. A simple and easy recipe that gets done in no time at all. Have them on their own with or without any frosting. The sweetness of apples and warmth of pumpkin spice will have you craving for these over and over again.
Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Apple cupcake recipe, Fall-inspired cupcake recipe
Today I have some really awesome fall inspired cupcakes to share with you. Actually, 10 fall-inspired cupcakes to share with you!! No, they are not all my recipes but recipes from my talented food blogger friends.
Yes, this is a little collaboration we did to bring you something different and something new to our blog fans. We are 10 food bloggers from around the world who got together to each create a cupcake inspired by the flavors of fall.
I made these Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes. These are just so perfect for this weather I think. What could be more comforting than a cupcake that warms you up from the inside with wonderful warm spices? Getting you all cozy for the fall weather. Right? And of course.. who doesn’t love apples? It’s another thing in season!!
Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Apple cupcake recipe, Fall-inspired cupcake recipe
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Pumpkin spice-mix – You can certainly use a store brought pumpkin spice but if you have not seen it yet, I do have a recipe for homemade pumpkin spice that takes just 2 minutes to make and you probably already have the spices in your pantry.
- Brown sugar – I love the addition of molasses that comes with the brown sugar – adds up to the warmth in the recipe but if you cannot use brown sugar go ahead and use white sugar and a tablespoon of molasses.
- Apples – Technically you can use any apples you like. Personally, I prefer the Gala or Granny Smith because they are firmer and more tart which work wonderfully with the sweet batter.
- Sour cream – I love sour cream instead of milk in this recipe, add a nice tender texture. But if you don’t have sour cream you can use buttermilk instead. You can make homemade buttermilk in 5 minutes
Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Apple cupcake recipe, Fall-inspired cupcake recipe
Recipe – Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes with SMBC and Caramel (Save/Pin)
Tools
- K-mix/
- food processor or
- jut a bowl
- and whisk
Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Apple cupcake recipe, Fall-inspired cupcake recipe
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- Brown Sugar – 150 grams (3/4 cup)
- Canola oil – 2/3 cup
- Sour cream 120 ml or 1/2 cup
- Eggs – 2 large
- Apple – 1 large (chopped +
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- All Purpose Flour – 170 grams (1 1/2 cup)
- Pumpkin spice 1 tsp (+ a little for sprinkling)
- Baking Powder – 3/4 tsp
- Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 Tsp
- Vanilla -1 Tsp
For the frosting and drizzle
- Swiss meringue buttercream – you will need half this batch – recipe and video.
- Caramel sauce – you will nee done batch – here is the recipe and video
Method:
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 160 C / 320 F
- Place baking cups or cupcake liners in a muffin tray
- Chop the apple and add 1 tbsp lemon juice to prevent oxidizing.
- Add 2 tsp flour to the apples and set aside.
- Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk together the eggs and brown sugar – until sugar is almost melted.
- Add in the oil followed by the sour cream
- Next goes in the flour – mix well
- Followed by the apples – fold them in
- Finally, add the vanilla.
- Scoop the batter equally into 12 cupcake liners or 8 to 10 baking cups
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool completely before you decorate
Prepare frostings
- Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream – recipe and video here
- Prepare Caramel Sauce and shown in this recipe and video here.
Decorate the cupcakes.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting or the frosting will melt.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with your desired piping nozzle – I’ve used Wilton round tip 12 (large round tip)
- Pipe a swirl on top of the cupcakes
- Warm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds so it’s easy to drizzle.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the cupcakes.
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Apple cupcake recipe, Fall-inspired cupcake recipe
7 FALL INSPIRED CUPCAKES – A COLLABORATION BY 7 FOOD BLOGGERS (Save/Pin)
Coming back to the recipes by my other six bloggers – Here are the other fall inspired cupcakes. Isn’t’ this the most delectable colors and flavors of fall? I will share the name and links below my recipe so look for that.
So here are the 6 other Cupcake recipe links from my food blogger friends
- Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Rosemary Molly – An Italian in my kitchen)
- Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream (Melissa Radcliffe – My wife can cook)
- Apple Spice Cupcakes (Arlene Mobley – Flour on my Face)
- Spicy Chai Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (Gloria Duggan – Homemade & Yummy)
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Frosting (Sarah Jane Parker – The Fit Cookie)
- Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Caramel – that’s me..!
6 Fabulous Fall Inspired Cupcakes Recipes – Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cupcakes
Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes with SMBC and Caramel
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 150 grams Brown Sugar
- 150 ml Canola oil
- 120 ml Sour cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Apple chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 170 grams All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
- 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the frosting and drizzle
- 4 cups Swiss meringue buttercream video/recipe here
- 1 Cup Caramel sauce video/recipe here
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 160 C / 320 F
- Place baking cups or cupcake liners in a muffin tray
- Chop the apple and add 1 tbsp lemon juice to prevent oxidizing.
- Add 2 tsp flour to the apples and set aside.
- Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk together the eggs and brown sugar - until sugar is almost melted.
- Add in the oil followed by the sour cream
- Next goes in the flour - mix well
- Followed by the apples - fold them in
- Finally, add the vanilla.
- Scoop the batter equally into 12 cupcake liners or 8 to 10 baking cups
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool completely before you decorate
Prepare frostings
- Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream - recipe and video here
- Prepare Caramel Sauce and shown in this recipe and video here.
Decorate the cupcakes.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting or the frosting will melt.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with your desired piping nozzle - I've used Wilton round tip 12 (large round tip)
- Pipe a swirl on top of the cupcakes
- Warm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds so it's easy to drizzle.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the cupcakes.
Love Cupcakes? Me too…
You can find more Cupcake Recipes here or you can see my Recipe Index or Cake Tutorial Index for a whole list of recipes and tutorials.
Love these cupcakes made them twice so far. Love all your recipes they always work. thanks for sharing .
Thank you Patrick. yeey! So happy you had enjoyed this recipe. Thank you ! And thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a wonderful day.
These look so delicious! I love the fall flavors in these cupcakes. My pumpkin pie spice doesn’t have star anise but that must be an interesting addition
Thanks Beth.. me too!
Apples and pumpkin spice sounds like a great combo! I’ve never had pumpkin spice with pumpkin seeds in it before. I’m actually allergic to pumpkin seeds now (not pumpkin puree though) so I guess I should read the labels on the pumpkin spice I buy!
Thank you Sarah. Ah I guess that must be the reason they don’t put the pumpkin seeds in lol.. allergry.. I loved that one and looking everywhere for it.
I love this combination and I am sure it is something I will love. They look so delicious.
I’m sure you will love it Rosemary. Thank you!!
These look delicious! I love the idea of making your own pumpkin spice and putting ground pumpkin seeds in it! Enjoyed collaborating and look forward to the next one!
Thank you so much Melissa. Was a pleasure to do this with collaboration with you. Can’t wait for the next
These look like the perfect little treat for an afternoon coffee/tea break….or the perfect way to end a nice meal. Nice video. This was a fun collaboration, and I look forward to being part of the next one.
Me too Gloria.. Loved being part of this one and can’t wait for the next Thanks
These sound amazing! Great combination of flavors
Thank you Kim !
What a great list of cupcakes but yours looks amazing!
Thank you so much Meeta!! They all sound so delicious
This recipe looks so delicious! I want to try your recipe soon
Thank you rika – I do hope you try it. Thanks
Pumpkin and apple – such a great fall flavor combination! All the other fall pumpkins look delicious as well.
Thank you Julie
Yum! These look so good!
Thank you Hannah <3
Veena
I have never seen pumpkin spice with ground up pumpkin seeds in it. I’m intrigued and would love to try it so I am going to look around for it. Your cupcakes look divine!
I know Arlene.. back then I never knew how wonderful and unique that was… I liked the idea that it has pumpkin seeds ground up on it. So sad it was so far long that I don’t even remember the brand or I’d go hunting for it. My busy loves pumpkin seeds and has them as snacks so would love to find that one.. if you do let me know thanks.