Move over, apple cider donuts! These apple cider cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting will be your new favorite Fall dessert. They are fluffy and soft with hints of cinnamon and apple in every bite.
There's no better way to celebrate Fall than with a batch of delicious cupcakes! These cupcakes have a cake made with real spiced apple cider that makes them moist and tender. They're topped with indulgent cinnamon cream cheese frosting that everyone loves.
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to make. You can whip up a batch of cupcakes in under an hour! They're perfect served at any Fall gathering or even as a Thanksgiving dessert.
Spiced apple cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and brown sugar cupcakes are super delicious and festive cupcake recipes you should make too!
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Key Ingredient Notes
- Brown sugar- Brown sugar is granulated sugar mixed with molasses, so it has a lovely warm flavor and adds lots of moisture. It can be light or dark brown sugar, just make sure it's fresh and not dried out.
- Baking powder- This ingredient leavens the batter in the oven. It helps the cupcakes rise and get super fluffy! Check the expiration date before adding it to the batter.
- Spices- We're using a homemade apple pie spice blend made with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Feel free to add other spices if you want, like cardamom and allspice.
- Unsalted butter- This adds a rich, buttery flavor to the cupcakes and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It needs to be room temperature for both to mix in easily.
- Eggs- 2 large eggs add a little lift and more richness while binding the other ingredients together.
- Apple cider- The flavor of apple cider can vary, so choose a high quality one since it's the main flavoring of these cupcakes. Choose one that isn't spiced. You can use leftover cider to make apple cider donut bread or apple cider donut muffins!
- Cream cheese- Full-fat cream cheese (cream cheese blocks) is best for a super rich and creamy cream cheese frosting. Don't use cream cheese spread or any cream cheese in a tub because it'll be too runny.
- Powdered sugar- Powdered sugar adds structure and sweetness to the frosting. You don't need to sift it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Apple cider substitute- Use apple juice can be used if apple cider isn't in season.
- Add caramel- Salted caramel is delicious drizzled on top of these cupcakes or stuffed inside!
- Topping options- Garnish the cupcakes with streusel to make apple crumble cupcakes or pie crust pieces for apple pie cupcakes.
- Add ins- Fold chopped nuts or chopped apples into the batter for more texture.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: First, add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices to a large bowl. With a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, mix on low until well mixed. Then mix in the room temperature butter until the texture is like wet sand.
Step 2: Beat in the eggs one at a time on low speed until fully combined. Then add vanilla.
Step 3: Whisk in the apple cider or beat it in on low speed until the batter is mostly smooth.
Step 4: Fill the cupcake liners โ of the way full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Step 5: Cream the butter and cream cheese together on high until there are no lumps. Beat in the vanilla.
Step 6: Beat in all of the cinnamon and half of the powdered sugar on low. Then, add in the other half of the powdered sugar until well incorporated.
Step 7: Fit a piping bag with a large tip and fill it with frosting. Pipe on top of the cupcakes, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Make sure to measure the flour properly with a kitchen scale or by using the spoon and level method.
- Don't overmix the cupcakes. Overmixing makes cupcakes dense, gummy, and more like a muffin.
- Don't overfill the cupcake liners. They might overflow and spill! Fill โ of the way so they will rise properly and evenly.
- If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a Ziplock bag instead. If you don't feel confident piping, you can spread the frosting over the cupcakes with a knife. They'll still be super delicious!
Storage Instructions
Store unfrosted apple cider cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
This could be from either over-baking or over-measuring flour. I recommend using aย kitchen scaleย to weigh it in grams for the most accuracy. Spooning flour into a measuring cup and leveling the excess is the second best method. Also make sure your oven setting is correct and not set to convection.
Cupcakes can deflate or sink when the batter is overmixed. Mixing too much adds too much air to the batter, so when cupcakes cool the air bubbles pop and they deflate. Only mix until just combined.
Cream cheese frosting can become gritty if the butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar are not beat together well. It's important to be sure they are creamed together completely before piping. Sifting the powdered sugar also helps remedy this.
More Cupcake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Apple Cider Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 5-quart stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 12-well cupcake tin
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Ingredients
Apple Cider Cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- ยผ teaspoon nutmeg
- ยผ teaspoon ground cloves
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup apple cider room temperature
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz full fat cream cheese softened
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Apple Cider Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC and prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Add the all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices to the bowl of stand mixer. Spin 5 times on low to incorporate.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add the softened butter and mix on low until the texture looks like wet sand.ยฝ cup unsalted butter
- Beat in the eggs one at a time on low speed until fully combined. Then beat in vanilla.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the apple cider on low speed until well combined. The batter will be a bit thin and a few small lumps are ok.
- Fill each cupcake liner โ of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the butter and cream cheese together on high for 5-8 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer until there are no lumps. Beat in the vanilla.8 oz full fat cream cheese, ยฝ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Beat in all of the cinnamon and half of the powdered sugar on low for 3 minutes. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and mix on low for another 3 minutes until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Fill a prepared piping bag with frosting and pipe it onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy.
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