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–+ servings
Fresh baked apple crumble cupcakes with caramelized apples and green edible leaves. Perfect for fall desserts.

Apple Cupcakes

Bree Hester
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizers & Snacks, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 339 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 sticks butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups applesauce
  • 1 cup toasted pecans chopped

For the Brown Sugar Buttercream:

  • 1 stick room temperature cream cheese
  • 1 stick room temperature butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar

To decorate:

  • Red jimmies or red sanding sugar
  • Thin pretzel sticks
  • Green Fruit Roll Ups

Instructions
 

  • Cream together both sugars with the butter until light and fluffy. (I totally made a mistake and only used 1 stick of butter. The recipe was great, but would have been even better with that extra stick. Oops.)
    Cream, egg, and butter in a stand mixer for baking recipes.
  • Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
    Baked Bree, father and child mixing ingredients in a kitchen for baking.
  • I cannot stress enough what a difference freshly grated nutmeg makes.
    Finely grated nutmeg over baking ingredients in a glass bowl for delicious homemade baked goods.
  • Add the eggs one at a time. Look very serious while your sister is adding the eggs. Serious = adorable.
    Baked Bree, kids baking in the kitchen with mixer and ingredients, family baking recipe, children helping in the kitchen, kids cooking at home.
  • Add the applesauce.
    Boy helping baking with adult in kitchen, mixing batter in stand mixer.
  • Mix it all together.
    Kids baking with a stand mixer in a bright kitchen, making delicious homemade treats.
  • Add in the dry ingredients. Fold in the nuts by hand. Put the cupcake batter into lined muffin tins. We used red liners to make them look even more like apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes.
    Cream being mixed in a stand mixer for baking a cake or bread.
  • Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined.
    Cream cheese and cookie dough mixture being prepared in a stand mixer with a spatula.
  • Now that I am thinking about it, a sprinkle of cinnamon in that frosting would have been a really good idea.
    Cream cheese frosting being mixed in a metal bowl for baking recipes.
  • Using a sharp knife or a cookie cutter, cut some leaf shapes out of the Fruit Roll Up.
    Green banana leaf with metal cookie cutter on surface, used for traditional baking or food preparation.
  • Frost the cupcake with the Brown Sugar Buttercream.
    Bright red cupcake with white frosting on a white plate, decorated with sprinkles and baking supplies in the background.
  • Sprinkle the red sanding sugar generously on the cupcake. (I think that it works better to dip the cupcake in the sugar, it covers the cupcake better that way.) Stick the pretzel in for the stem and add a leaf.
    Fresh red velvet cupcake with edible bead decoration and green leaf topping on white plate, close-up.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 268mgFiber: 2g
Keyword apple cupcakes, apple week recipe, apple-themed dessert, applesauce cupcakes, baking with kids, brown sugar buttercream, buttercream frosting whipped, cinnamon cupcakes, easy cupcakes, fall baking recipes, family baking, fun cupcakes, kid-friendly baking
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