I love a good apple pie, especially in the fall, and I much prefer it over pumpkin. Whenever I plan to make a pie I always reach for a recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum, since she is the queen of pie. When our annual Halloween party rolled around this year I liked the idea making an apple pie, but wanted to make something that’s easier for folks grab. Between everyone wearing costumes, and having a lot of kids in attendance, I thought pie would be too messy. That’s when I decided to try making apple pie cupcakes! I threw this recipe together last minute, so I didn’t get a chance to take step by step pictures, but they are super easy to make.
For the frosting I chose to use canned whipped cream and then made up a batch of my homemade caramel to drizzle on top. The caramel recipe is the same I use for my Stroopwafel filling. That way people could choose to warm their cupcake in the microwave before giving them a squirt of whipped cream. The results were pure Yum! Needless to say they were a hit at the party. These Apple Pie Cupcakes would definitely be a good alternative to pie on Thanksgiving as well.
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 0.5 cup (2.1 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 0.75 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp (2oz) unsalted butter, melted
Cake Batter
- 4 (7 oz) large eggs
- 0.5 cup (4oz) diced apple
- 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- 2.75 cups (11.7oz) all-purpose flour lightly spooned into the measuring cup
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 16 Tbsp (8oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 cups (10.9 oz) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup (4 oz) unsweetened applesauce
- 0.5 cup milk
- 2 tsp flour (to toss with apples)
Instructions
Streusel Topping
-
Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
-
Melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave (or on the stove top). Add the melted butter to the flour mixture and use a whisk to blend together. Set aside until ready to top cupcakes.
Cupcake Batter
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the unbroken eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature, set aside
-
Peel and dice the apples, toss with lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
-
Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and whisk well to combine, set aside.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the flat beater, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-
Add the sugar and vanilla to the butter and mix on low until incorporated, then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the butter is light a fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bowl in between additions.
-
Add the flour mixture to your mixing bowl in 3-4 batches alternating first with the applesauce and then with the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix well (about 30-40 seconds) after each addition.
-
Drain any juices from the diced apples, toss with a little extra flour to coat, then fold into the batter.
-
Fill each cupcake liner with about 1/4 cup of batter. I like to use a #16 disher/scoop to portion out my cupcake batter (see recipe notes).
-
Top each cupcake evenly with streusel topping then bake @ 350°F for about 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a cooling rack.
-
Best served warm and topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce (see recipe notes).
Recipe Notes
- A 4 tablespoon scoop (sometimes called a #16 disher) is a great tool for portioning out cupcake batter.
- If you don’t have time to make your own fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce you can easily use store bought.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.