Caramel Apple Cupcakes.
Crackling fires, sparkling fireworks, warm cosy coats. Thats what autumn is all about. And what best epitomises autumn and bonfire night then Caramel apples? Sweet, crisp juicy apples with chewy earthy caramel, whats not to love? Well, how about taking all of this and making it into a cupcake? Yes, you read that right! Caramel apple cupcakes! Give them a go with the kids this weekend! Perfect for those bonfire parties!
Makes 12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes -
150 g unsalted butter, softened
150 g soft brown sugar
3 medium free range eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
200 g self-raising flour
1 large apple, grated
50 g golden syrup
1-2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp salt
For the caramel buttercream –
150 g unsalted butter, softened
250 g icing sugar
100 g caramel sauce (I used Carnation tinned caramel)
1 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
2-3 tbs milk
Fill and decorate –
1 jar of apple sauce
Dried apple chips or fresh apple slices
Caramel sauce to drizzle
Method
1 –
Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees C. Line your cupcake tin with paper cases and set aside. Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2 –
In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat 150 g soft brown sugar with 150 g softened butter until pale and fluffy, stopping regularly to scrape down any unincorporated butter. This should take about 5 mins. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer if you do not have a stand mixer. While the butter whips, it is a good time to grate your apple. Once grated, squeeze out some of the liquid (you can discard this) and cover the apple shreds and set aside.
3 –
To the above butter and sugar mixture, add your eggs and flour bit by bit, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. Once all incorporated, stop and scrape down the bowl and add your milk, vanilla, apple shreds and golden syrup. Mix briefly to combine into a thick smooth batter. Be careful not to over mix.
4 -
Using a spoon, divide the mixture evenly between your cupcake cases. Aim for about ¾ full.
5 -
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake, when pressed, springs back. A toothpick, when inserted into the middle, should come out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once cool, store in an air tight container if not decorating right away.
For the Caramel Buttercream
1 -
In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat your softened butter on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes until pale and fluffy
2 –
Once the butter is pale (almost white) and fluffy, add half of your icing sugar and mix on low to prevent a cloud of sugar going everywhere. Once mostly mixed in, beat again on high for 1 minute before adding and repeating this with the remaining icing sugar. Once all combined, stop to scrape down the bowl to capture any unmixed butter and add the caramel sauce, salt, vanilla and milk. Add your milk 1 tbs at a time until you have a very smooth buttercream and then beat on high speed for 2-3 mins to make a super fluffy and smooth buttercream. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to decorate. This can be kept in the fridge covered for up to 1 week or up to 1 month in the freezer. When ready to use again, thaw to room temp and beat briefly. You can add a splash of milk to smooth out thick buttercream if needs be.
To assemble / Decorate –
** Note **
You can make your own dried apple chips by slicing an apple very thinly (I used a mandolin) and place on a silpat sheet or grease proof paper and bake in a very low oven (approx 50-70 degrees) for a few hours, flipping occasionally to ensure they dry out evenly. They will be ready when they are fully dried and crispy. Do not bake too hot as they will burn. Store in an air tight container.
1 -
Using an apple corer or a small paring knife, cut a well in the middle of each cupcake, large enough to fit a decent dollop of apple sauce but be sure not to go all the way to the bottom. When you have finished cutting holes, it’s time to fill them with apple sauce. Be sure to fill the holes to the brim. Any leftover cake can be used for cake pops or even crumbled over the top to decorate, should you wish.
2 -
Once all cupcakes are filled, using either a piping bag with an open star tip or a spoon if doing this with the kids, pipe a generous swirl of buttercream to cover and hide the apple sauce. When all the cupcakes are frosted, place your apple slices/chips into the buttercream and then drizzle generously with extra caramel sauce. These cakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Please note that the apple chips / slices will soften/discolour if placed on the cakes too soon in advance. It’s best to soak fresh slices in lemon juice first or wait to decorate before serving.
