Description
These Best Caramel Apple Cupcakes combine a moist, green-tinted apple-flavored cake with rich buttery cream cheese frosting, topped with caramel-dipped apple tops for a festive and delicious treat perfect for fall or any celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 White cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter (melted)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon green food coloring gel (more if desired for brighter green)
- 1 teaspoon Apple Extract
Frosting
- 1 stick butter (softened, not melted)
- 1/2 cup Crisco
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 – 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Toppings
- 24 green apples (tops cut off)
- 1 carton Marzetti’s Caramel Apple Dip
Instructions
- Prepare the cupcake batter: In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine the white cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and heavy cream. Mix until well blended. Add the apple extract and green food coloring gel, mixing again until the batter is uniformly colored and smooth. Line two 12-count or one 24-count muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill each liner about two-thirds full with the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool cupcakes on a wire rack.
- Prepare caramel apple tops: Wash and dry the green apples thoroughly. Cut off the tops of each apple. Dip the apple tops into the Marzetti’s caramel apple dip, then place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Freeze the dipped apple tops until the caramel has set.
- Make the frosting: In the stand mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and Crisco together until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Gradually add half of the powdered sugar and half of the heavy cream, beating until blended. Continue adding the remaining powdered sugar alternately with the remaining heavy cream until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl sides and mix again until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the frosting for one hour to chill.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are completely cool and the frosting is chilled, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes starting from the outer edge, swirling upward to form a peak. Remove the caramel-coated apple tops from the freezer and place one on top of each frosted cupcake. Drizzle a little extra caramel over the assembled cupcakes for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the green food coloring gel amount to achieve your preferred shade of green.
- Ensure cupcakes are fully cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Freezing the caramel-dipped apple tops helps them set properly and maintain shape.
- Use a sturdy star tip for piping to get defined frosting swirls.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.