Apple Cider Caramel Cupcakes

Fruity, sweet and salty combine in my Apple Cider Caramel Cupcakes to bring you the perfect Autumnal treat. The cupcake sponge has the warm, inviting hit of apple cider with the added bonus of more grated apple that sweetens the sponge perfectly. Filled with salted caramel sauce, the cupcake is then topped with a luxurious swirl of caramel swiss meringue buttercream, an extra drizzle of caramel and finished off with an apple crisp. 

For me Autumnal flavours embody that warm, cozy, pull on a warm knit and walk through fallen burnt orange leaf vibes. Flavours like maple syrup, toasted pecans, ginger, mocha, salty caramel and apple are my favourite.

All those that follow me on instagram know my views on the traditional Autumn flavours … cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg and chai. I have a strong dislike for them. Scratch that. I can’t stand them!! I know, I know, I’m in a minority here … but well, I can’t help that. I may venture into pumpkin and chocolate … but that’s as far as I’ll take it!

You definitely won’t see any of those flavours during this season of baking!

Apple Cider Caramel Cupcakes

Well, let’s talk about the main components in these delicious cupcakes.

The cupcake is hit twice with the added flavour of apple. Not only is there 1/2 cup of apple cider which moistens the batter whilst adding the sweetness and a little tang. There’s also grated apple that adds even more flavour but also melts away and caramelises in the sponge whilst baking. Hello deliciousness!

Once baked the cupcake is then filled with salted caramel sauce. Can you just stop right there and imagine what that tastes like with the apple cupcakes? Heaven I tell you! As an extra bit of decadence, because why not, that same caramel sauce is then drizzled onto the buttercream! I made my usual salted caramel sauce, found here, for the recipe but if you’d prefer to use store bought then go for it.

Onto the swiss meringue buttercream. I’ll go into more detail in the next part, but its safe to say that this style of buttercream is divine. Not to sweet, smooth as silk, light …yeah I’m a massive fan!

The proverbial cherry on the cake is the single slice of apple crisps. So simple to make and so effective. I used a mandolin to slice the apples, but you could slice by hand if you don’t have one, and then laid all the slices on a baking tray and baked them for 1 hour in a 140C/275F oven, turning over once. They dry out beautifully and the apple flavour intensifies to give a delicately textured but packed full of flavour bite. Well worth the effort.

Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

So I touched on this type of buttercream above. It’s super light, extremely smooth, and not sickly at all. Once made it’s also great to handle- it pipes amazingly and holds its shape. Brilliant!

The thing with standard butter cream is that it’s sweet, like really sweet. I mean, you can’t really blame it can you, it’s predominantly made up of butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar. Like a lot of icing sugar and it can have a slightly grainy texture because of this.

But what ingredients going swiss meringue buttercream?

Pantry staples: egg whites, sugar, butter, vanilla extract and for this recipe, caramel.

In short, it’s the process of heating egg whites and sugar until the egg whites are cooked and sugar dissolved and then whipping them into a beautiful glossy meringue. Butter and flavouring (if required) are then added to give you the perfect buttercream.

And how do you make it?

Ok so here’s the deal. It’s slightly more of a process than standard American buttercream, but once you get the hang of it it’ll become a firm favourite to top your cakes and cupcakes with.

I’ll take you step by step.

1. Using a bain marie (metal bowl sat snugly over a pan of boiling water – not touching the water though), whisk the egg whites and sugar continuously until the temperature reaches 70C/160F. Sugar granules should feel totally dissolved when mixture is rubbed between finger and thumb.
2. Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Then whisk on medium to high until the egg white mixture is completely cool. and the bowl is cool to touch. This can take 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the paddle attachment. On medium speed, start adding the butter one table spoon at a time, only adding the next when the butter is fully incorporated.. Once completely added then continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is whipped and of a thick consistency. Note: if it’s lumpy then continue to whip until smooth.
4. Add vanilla extract and salted caramel and whip until fully combined.

Now you are ready to pipe and before you know it you’ll have your very own tray of Apple Cider Caramel Cupcakes to munch on!

For more inspiring Autumn recipes check out these recipes from my website:

Peach Crumble Cups. Recipe found here

Fruit Pavlova with Roasted Plums and Fresh Figs. Recipe found here

Pecan Maple Shortbread Cookies. Recipe found here

Salted Caramel Sauce. Recipe found here

Apple Cider Caramel Cupcakes

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 40
• Cook Time: 18
• Total Time: 58 minutes
• Yield: 12
• Category: Cupcakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Fruity, sweet and salty combine to to bring you the perfect Autumnal cupcake. The cupcake sponge has the warm, inviting hit of apple cider with the added bonus of more grated apple that sweetens the sponge perfectly. Filled with salted caramel sauce, the cupcake is then topped with a luxurious swirl of caramel swiss meringue buttercream, an extra drizzle of caramel and finished off with an apple crisp. 

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Ingredients

Apple cider cupcakes

215g (1 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

18g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

50g (1/4 cup) brown sugar

110g (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

120ml (1/2 cup) apple cider

60g (1/2 cup) grated apple

120g (1/2 cup) salted caramel sauce. Recipe found here.

 

Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 large egg whites

300g 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

440g (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

120g (1/2 cup) salted caramel

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

     Pinch salt, optional

To decorate

Drizzle caramel

Apple Crisps (see notes below)

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Instructions

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 12 cupcake moulds with liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Once creamed, add vanilla and then Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing completely between each addition.
4. Alternate adding the mixed dry ingredients and the apple cider to the butter and sugar, stirring on low, making sure you’re only stirring them until they’re just absorbed. 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then ½ the apple cider, then ½ the remaining dry mix, then the rest of the apple cider, followed by the rest of the dry mix and the grated apple. Do not over mix. Give it one last stir and make sure there are no dry ingredients sitting on the bottom of the bowl
5. Fill cupcake cases 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Be careful to not overbake! Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
6. Once cooled, scoop out some sponge from the centre of the cupcake and spoon caramel sauce in until level with the top of the cupcake. Set aside until ready to pipe buttercream.

 

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.
2. Place bowl over a pot of boiling water ensuring the bowl does not touch the water and whisk the egg whites and sugar continuously until the temperature reaches 70C/160F. Sugar granules should feel totally dissolved when mixture is rubbed between finger and thumb.
3. Remove from the bowl from the heat and carefully wipe the bottom with a cloth and place on the stand mixer.  With the whisk attachment fitted, beat on medium to high until the egg white mixture is completely cool. and the bowl is cool to touch. This can take 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the paddle attachment. On medium speed, start adding the butter one table spoon at a time, only adding the next when the butter is fully incorporated. Once completely added then continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is whipped and of a thick consistency. Note: if it’s lumpy then continue to whip until smooth.
5. Add vanilla bean paste and salted caramel and whip until fully combined.

 

To decorate

1. Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, swirl buttercream onto the cupcakes. Next drizzle caramel sauce over the buttercream, then place an apple crisp as decoration. Optional: sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

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Notes

Tips for the buttercream    

1. Ensure metal bowl is grease and water free. Must be clean and totally dry prior to whisking egg whites.

2.    Ensure there are no yolks in the egg whites.

3.    Use a candy thermometer to ensure the correct temperature os reached for the egg whites

4.    Once whipping egg whites with the stand mix, the mixture AND the metal bowl has to be at room temperature. Zero heat in the bowl before adding the butter.

5.    Once the butter is added, if it looks like soup then place the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes and then commence whipping again.

Tips for Apple Crisps

Use a mandolin to slice 1 apple, then lay all the slices on a baking tray and baked for 1 hour in a 140C/275F oven, turning over once until dried. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.

Keywords: Cupcakes, dessert, snack, treat, autumn

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