These spiced apple cupcakes taste like Fall in a bite! They're moist and flavored with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Studded with fresh chopped apples and topped with cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes make the perfect, cozy Fall dessert.
Fall is here, and baking spiced apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is the perfect way to ring in the season. They're soft like a classic vanilla cake but slightly dense and moist, almost like banana bread. They're gently spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice too!
Like these cinnamon apple blondies, tender pieces of freshly chopped apples are folded into the cupcake batter. They're juicy little surprises that melt in your mouth! They're perfect for Fall picnics or Thanksgiving dinner.
If you love apple desserts, check out this honey apple crisp, apple cider muffins, apple carrot cake, caramel apple crumb cake, and apple pie cheesecake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft and tender texture- These apple spice cupcakes are made using the reverse creaming method, which is when butter is creamed into the dry ingredients. The fat coats the flour, making it more difficult for gluten to develop for a tender texture. I use this technique for lots of cupcakes, including these almond cupcakes and apple cider cupcakes!
- Cream cheese frosting- Each cupcake has a swirl of tangy cream cheese frosting on top. You can make a traditional cream cheese frosting, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, or try a softer cream cheese frosting without butter.
- Easy to make- You can whip up a batch in less than an hour with basic baking tools!
Key Ingredients
- All purpose flour- Measure it correctly, ideally in grams with a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, gently spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off. Don't pack it in or you'll have way too much, which makes cupcakes dry.
- Baking powder- Check the expiration date before you use it. The cupcakes won't rise properly if it's expired.
- Spices- Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice are used to give the cupcakes a warm and cozy taste.
- Brown sugar- This sweetens the cupcakes plus adds moisture and a deep flavor. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Butter and oil- Making cupcakes with both butter and oil makes them soft yet moist. Use unsalted butter and flavorless oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Eggs- 1 egg holds the ingredients together, and adding an extra egg white makes the cupcakes extra fluffy.
- Buttermilk- The acid in buttermilk tenderizes the gluten, creating an extra soft crumb. The best substitutes for buttermilk are plain kefir, Greek yogurt, or sour cream.
- Chopped apples- My favorite apples for apple pie filling, apple crisp, and cakes are Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith apples. You need crisp apples that don't mushy while baking. I used 1 Honeycrisp and 1 Granny Smith for the perfect mix of sweet and tart. They can be peeled or unpeeled.
For quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Variation Ideas
- Add chopped nuts- Fold pecans or walnuts into the batter with the apples for extra crunch.
- Salted caramel drizzle- Spoon salted caramel sauce over the frosting for a caramel apple vibe.
- Streusel topping- Top the cupcakes with a sprinkle of cinnamon streusel. You can use the recipe from these mini cinnamon muffins. Adding oats would be delicious too!
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners. Avoid silicone or dark colored tins!
Step 1: Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Step 2: Beat in the softened butter and low speed until the butter coats the flour mixture and looks like wet sand.
Step 3: Mix in the oil, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract on low until a thick batter forms.
Step 4: Drizzle in the buttermilk with the mixer on low. The batter will be quite thin.
Step 5: Fold in the diced apples until they're evenly distributed throughout.
Step 6: Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter between the 12 liners, filling each ยฝ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't leave them in the pan too long or condensation will form in the wrappers and make the cupcakes soggy.
Step 8: Make the cream cheese frosting by beating softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time on low to avoid a sugar cloud.
Step 9: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip with frosting and pipe a swirl on top of each apple cupcake. Garnish with apple chips!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk mix in more easily than cold ones, creating a uniform batter. Pull them all out of the fridge 1-2 hours before you start baking.
- Don't overmix the batter. With the reverse creaming method, overmixing is harder to do! Just be careful to fold in the apples until they're just combined. Overmixing makes tough and gummy cupcakes.
- Don't overbake. Check on the cupcakes a couple minutes before the suggested baking time since oven temperatures can vary. They're done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Storage Instructions
Store unfrosted apple spice cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After that, store in the refrigerator for an additional 3 days.
If the cupcakes are frosted, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them thaw on the counter before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!ย Freeze them on a baking sheet for 2 hours or until frozen solid. Freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before eating.
The most likely reason is that you over-measured the flour! This is why I always recommend measuring flour in grams with a digital food scale. It's so much more accurate!
Yes! You can use a classic vanilla American buttercream, cinnamon buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream, or whatever your heart desires.
More Fall Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Spiced Apple Cupcakes
Equipment
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Spiced Apple Cupcakes
- 1 ยฝ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
- ยผ teaspoon allspice
- ยฝ cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- โ cup unsalted butter softened
- โ cup neutral oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg white room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- โ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup chopped apples Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Apple Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC). Fill a cupcake pan with 12 liners and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, spices, white and brown sugars, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Spin 5 times until well mixed.1 ยฝ cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg, ยผ teaspoon allspice, ยฝ cup granulated sugar, ยฝ cup brown sugar, ยผ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- Add the softened butter and beat on low for 3-4 minutes until the texture is like wet sand.โ cup unsalted butter
- Add the oil, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until a batter forms.โ cup neutral oil, 1 large egg, 1 egg white, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir on low until well combined. The batter will be thin.โ cup buttermilk
- Gently fold in the apples using a rubber spatula.1 cup chopped apples
- Evenly portion the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each โ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat room temperature butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until creamy and lump free.ยฝ cup unsalted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.4 cups powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla and salt and mix well on medium-low speed.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Fill a piping bag with frosting and pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
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