Apple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting have warm spices, grated apple and deliciously tangy cream cheese frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple Cupcakes, Apple Spice Cupcakes

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 18

Total Time 1 30

Servings cupcakes

Calories 491kcal

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C or 170C fan forced) degrees and line a muffin pan with papers. You'll end up with 12-15 cupcakes - so you may need 2 pans.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt.
In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla and milk until no lumps of sugar remain and you no longer see pieces of egg.
Carefully whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth. Stop mixing once incorporated.
Stir in the grated apple until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan filling each about ¾ full. You'll end up with about 12-14 cupcakes in total.
Bake 1 tray at a time in the middle of the oven for for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Beat the butter until no lumps remain.
Cut the cream cheese into a few lumps. Add into the bowl and beat until just combined.
Add in 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Start with the mixer on a low speed and beat until combined.
Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ to 1 cup at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. If needed (ie the frosting is too thick), beat in 1 tablespoon of cream
Frost the cooled cupcakes using a piping bag and tip (I used a Wilton 1M) or a knife. Optionally sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon and apple slices. Only add the apple slices right before serving so that they don't go brown, or use dried apple slices.

Milk: 1%, 2% or whole milk work well in this recipe. I do not like baking with skim milk because the fat content is so low.
Apples: I recommend using galas, honeycrisp, pink lady, or ambrosia apples. Green apples work for a more tart flavor. I don't recommend using McIntosh or red delicious apples for this recipe.
Cream Cheese: Make sure to use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Do not use anything low fat or spreadable.
Storage: Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 hours or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cupcakes are always best when fresh.
Make Ahead Tips: Cupcakes can be made 1 day in advance, cooled fully and stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight. Frost the cupcakes the next day.
Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cupcake with frosting, assuming that the recipe yields 12 equal-sized cupcakes and that all the frosting is used.