The wait is finally over, friends! I know you’ve been patiently waiting for a new apple recipe and I promise, it was worth the wait! I’ve had these apple pie cupcakes stirring in my head for what seems like forever, and I couldn’t be more excited to share them with you! Everything you love about classic apple pie, all in one hand-held little cake is the cupcake of the season!
Cinnamon infused cupcakes, caramelized apples, cinnamon buttercream with a little of the good stuff (hello!), and the most adorable pie crust leaf garnish, because I believe dessert should be as delicious to look at as it is to eat! Seriously, they’re like a party on a plate!
The cupcake itself is definitely worth talking about – it has just the right amount of light and dainty combined with enough substance to hold all that real estate parked on top! The flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger floating around will make you feel like you’re skipping through crunchy leaves on a brisk day, wearing cute boots, and sipping your favorite seasonal beverage.
This whole situation gets even better when you introduce the caramelized apples. It’s like apple pie filling, on the stove and ready in under 10 minutes, and I should tell you that you might want to just go a head and plan to make this a lot. It’s one of those things I make and then wind up “tasting” it until I have to make more… It’s also amazing over ice cream, in case you were wondering!
The buttercream is super simple to make and a splash of bourbon cuts the sweetness beautifully. You might even want to add an extra splash – just putting it out there 🙂
The one thing that really takes these cupcakes over the top are the pie crust leaves. They are super easy to make, absolutely delicious, and I like to think they’re the sprinkles of the pie world! Sorry, I can’t help myself.
I talk about them a bit more in a new behind-the-scenes video over on Instagram. Speaking of videos, thank you so much for all the feedback on the spooky spider cookie recipe and video! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed them, and thrilled to see so many of you baking and sharing the cookies!
Happy baking!
Everyone’s favorite pie gets transformed into the treat of the season with apple pie cupcakes. Cinnamon-infused cupcakes topped with spiced buttercream, caramelized apples and pie crust leaves are as delicious to look at as they are to eat!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 2-pack box) or leftover pie dough scraps
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon bourbon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk in three additions, starting and ending with the dries. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes.
- Head over to Farberware for the full Apple Pie Cupcake recipe. Enjoy!
Disclosure: I am in a working relationship with Farberware and this recipe was developed for Farberware Cookware. Thank you for supporting Buttercream Blondie and allowing me to share what I love.
Liz says
These just could become my favorite cupcakes ever! Gorgeous!!!