Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Soft cupcakes flavored with apple and caramel in both the cupcake and the buttercream. Decorate the top with apple slices and drizzle with caramel for a pretty look!
Servings: 26
Calories: 262kcal
Ingredients
- 1 box caramel cake mix (or butter golden or spice cake)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/3 cup salted butter softened
Caramel Buttercream:
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/3 cup salted butter softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple juice concentrate
- 2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- apple slices for decorating optional
- 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping for decorating optional
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, eggs, apple juice concentrate, milk and butter. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Place cupcake wrappers in a cupcake pan and scoop the batter evenly into the wrappers, filling about 2/3 of the way full. (I did not want mine to overflow so actually made 26 cupcakes instead of 24.)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake bounces back when you touch it.
Make the buttercream:
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and shortening until it is creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the powdered sugar, apple juice concentrate, caramel topping and salt. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the frosting is well-mixed.
- This frosting will not get very light and airy. It should be very creamy and smooth. Keep the frosting cold if possible as it will get runny if it gets too warm.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost the cupcakes with the prepared buttercream.
- If desired, right before serving decorate the tops of the cupcakes with apple slices and caramel topping.
- Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
To keep your apple slices from turning brown, toss them with lemon juice or Sprite. Be sure the slices are dry before putting them on the cupcakes.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 26 cupcakes, with 1 serving being 1 frosted cupcake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 7.8mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 0.6mg