These cupcakes taste, and smell, like fall. They’re moist and delicious and surprisingly easy to make. And the cinnamon frosting perfectly complements the apples and spices in the cupcakes. As always, we include gluten and dairy substitutions.
We talk you through the recipe for these Apple Spice Cupcakes in Episode 252 of our podcast. If you enjoy these cupcake, you may also like our recipes for Apple Marzipan Mini Cakes and Baked Apple Pudding.
Cupcake Ingredients
1 ½ cups flour or gluten free 1-1 flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon of cardamom
½ cup unsalted butter or dairy free butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup milk or plant milk (oat)
2 large apples, peeled and grated (about a cup and a half)
Cinnamon Frosting Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) of butter or dairy-free butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or dairy free milk (or more, if necessary)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions – Apple Spice Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, and using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together on medium or medium-high speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again until well blended.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix just until combined. Mix in the milk, then add remaining flour. Fold in the grated apples until just combined.
Spoon batter into the 12 cupcake cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and beat until mostly combined. Add the milk and beat until the frosting is smooth and thick. If it is too thick to mix easily, add a bit more milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.
Beat in the cinnamon. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!