Description
Delight in these Apple Pie Cupcakes featuring a tender cake infused with warm cinnamon, filled with a homemade apple compote, and topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Perfectly capturing the essence of classic apple pie in a convenient handheld treat, these cupcakes are a comforting dessert ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Apple Filling
- 4 small tart apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
- 30 g brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50 g water
Cupcakes
- 185 g cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g milk, dairy or non-dairy
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 125 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make Apple Filling: In a small pot, combine diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the lid and cook until the apples are tender and excess liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if it dries out or starts to burn. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with parchment cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Sift half of the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture and blend briefly on low speed until just combined. Add half the milk and mix until just combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, mixing gently until smooth.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat softened butter until creamy. Add cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until smooth and thick.
- Prepare for Decorating: Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small ribbon piping tip set in a coupler. Set aside.
- Assemble Cupcakes: Use a small melon baller or knife to scoop out the center of each cupcake about halfway deep. Fill the hollow with apple compote, then add a spoonful of compote on top, flattening slightly but leaving the edges clear.
- Pipe Frosting: Using the ribbon tip, pipe two crisscrossing lines of frosting over the apple filling. Switch to an open star tip to pipe a decorative border around the cupcake on top of the lines.
Notes
- Yield depends on cupcake liner size; standard jumbo liners yield 12 cupcakes when filled two-thirds full.
- Piping tips used were off-brand with small sizes; a set of small piping tips is recommended for best results.
- If desired, experiment with different apple varieties for varied tartness and sweetness.
- Use dairy or non-dairy milk based on preference. Butter and cream cheese must be softened for smooth mixing.
- Allow apple filling to cool completely before assembling cupcakes to prevent melting the frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 354
- Sugar: 33g
- Sodium: 207mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 84mg
