Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Apple pie in cupcake form!?!  Now this is my kind of pie. I must admit I’m not a huge pie fan (I know, I know)- that’s not to say I don’t like pie around the holidays but for other times of the year it’s not something I really tend to make. With these I’ve taken the best of both worlds and combined them. The flavor just screams fall – but of course these would be delicious anytime of the year!

The base of these cupcakes is the same as our snickerdoodle cupcake recipe, I’ve just added an apple filling which tastes just like the inside of apple pie (which is the best part in my opinion!)

How to Make Apple Pie Cupcakes

The first step is to gather all your tools and ingredients. You will need:

Tools Needed:

• Mixing Bowls
• Hand Mixer / Stand Mixer
• Spatulas
• Mixing Spoons
• Measuring Cups / Spoons
• Muffin Tin
• Cupcake Liners
• Cupcake Corer
• Stove and Skillet
• Frosting Bag
• Frosting Tip

Cupcake Ingredients Needed: 

• 1 x Kate’s Safe and Sweet Vanilla Cake Mix
• 1 cup Milk of choice
• 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons Neutral Oil
• 2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Filling Ingredients Needed: 

• 4 medium Apples, peeled and finely chopped (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons of Butter (your choice, vegan or regular)
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
• 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch
• 1 tablespoon of Water

Frosting Ingredients Needed: 

• 1 x Kate’s Safe and Sweet Frosting Mix
• 1/2 cup Butter of choice
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1-2 tbsp Milk of choice
• 2 tsp Cinnamon

Filling Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add chopped apples and brown sugar. Cook and stir until apples are tender about 10-12 minutes.

2. In a small bowl mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil and cook and stir until thickened about 1-2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool completely.  While cooling start making cupcakes as per below instructions.

Cupcake Instructions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake tray with liners or spray with oil. Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk of your choice with the apple cider vinegar. Let rest for a few minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, place the vanilla cake mix and spices. Give a quick mix. Into this bowl, pour the milk mixture and oil. Mix well until fully incorporated.

4. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tray, about 2 tablespoons of batter per cupcake.

5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the darkness of your baking pan. Cupcakes are done with a toothpick inserted into them removes cleanly.

6. Let cupcakes rest for 10 minutes before removing them from the warm baking tray. Let cool completely before moving onto the next step.

7. Using a cupcake corer or a paring knife, core out the center of each cupcake and discard the removed portion. Using a spoon fill the cavity with the apple mixture.

Frosting Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, combine the butter of choice with the shortening. Whip until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the contents of the vanilla frosting mix and the cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time. Whip again until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding a splash more of milk if needed.

3. Transfer to a piping bag and frost cupcakes.

4. Sprinkle tops with ground cinnamon and sugar mixture if you’d like and add in an apple slice too!

This cinnamon frosting would be delicious on pumpkin or vanilla treats too… oh and it’s delicious by the spoonful out of the bowl too!

Don’t forget to check out our other recipes here.  Enjoy!