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Perfectly spiced apple cupcakes are filled with caramelized apple chunks and topped with a silky, smooth, and fluffy maple marshmallow frosting. It’s fall, you say? 

A closeup of a spiced apple cupcake.

This post was originally published on October 15, 2014, and has been updated with new pictures.

Hey there, and welcome back, friends.

You are in for a comforting fall treat!

Apple Spice Cupcakes

Let’s talk about cupcakes. We are continuing with our apple theme of the week after these caramelized apples with goat cheese crescents from Monday. I present to you the best cupcakes you will have this fall!

Two spiced apple cupcakes on white plates with a cinnamon stick.

These spiced apple cupcakes with maple marshmallow frosting are an attempt to recreate the best apple cupcakes I’ve ever had.

In the cutest cupcake store in Montreal, we tried a Cronut (weird I know, but seriously impressive) and an apple cupcake made with all-natural ingredients (the store owner had to stress the nature of his ingredients).

A spiced apple cupcake with the wrapper removed.

It was truly a delicious cupcake and I couldn’t stop thinking about it a week later and just had to try to remake it. I think I came pretty close to the original (Mr J agrees!) and I’m in love with these.

The cupcakes are perfectly spiced, soft, and filled with caramelized apples. Yes, I’m obsessed with caramelized apples in brown sugar these days. Just do it, and you will see why.

A spiced apple cupcake with a bite out of it.

The frosting here is light, not too sweet and fluffy. Just a simple maple marshmallow frosting to take the cupcakes to the next level. These will become your new best friend for fall! I promise.

Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Cupcake Ingredients

  • apples
  • brown sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • a few spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves
  • unsalted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • a few eggs
  • milk
  • corn syrup
  • maple syrup
A spiced apple cupcakes with a tray of cupcakes behind it.

How to Make Spiced Apple Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Diced apples with brown sugar.

In a medium saucepan, combine the apples and brown sugar.

Cooked spiced apple filling.

Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.

Dry ingredients for the cupcakes.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl.

Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in egg and mix until combined.

Creamed butter with the flour mixture added.

Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk and mix. Add ½ of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour, beating well after each addition.

The apples are added to the cupcake batter.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the caramelized apples into the batter until well combined.

Unbaked cupcakes.

Divide the batter into the prepared cups, filling each ⅔ of the way.

Baked cupcakes.

Bake cupcakes until the center springs back when touched, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and let cool completely before icing.

Maple Marshmallow Frosting

Eggwhites whipped.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Sugar that is boiling.

In the meantime, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup until the mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat.

Heated sugar added to egg whites and whipped to soft peaks.

With the mixer going, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the stiff egg whites. (Do not scrape the sides of the bowl, or sugar crystals will form in your frosting. Trust me!) Beat the frosting until it’s shiny and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.

Piping marshmallow frosting onto cupcakes.

Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Toasting the marshmallow frosting.

Use a kitchen torch to toast the frosting slightly.

How to Store Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Store cupcakes with marshmallow frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unthaw the frozen cupcakes at room temperature.

A tray of four spiced apple cupcakes.

More Fall Apple Recipes

A spiced apple cupcake sitting on two white plates.

What do you think of this amazing fall apple cupcake recipe? What would you serve with these cupcakes? Let me know in the comment section below. 

If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!

Happy baking, friends!

Spiced Apple Cupcake Recipe

A closeup of an apple spice cupcake.
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Spiced Apple Cupcakes

Perfectly spiced apple cupcakes are filled with caramelized apple chunks and topped with a silky, smooth and fluffy maple marshmallow frosting. It's fall you say? 

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped apples (I used Granny Smiths but you can use any apples)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup milk, at room temperature

For Maple Marshmallow Frosting:

  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup corn syrup
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the apples and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in egg and mix until combined. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk and mix. Add ½ of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour, beating well after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the caramelized apples into the batter until well combined.
  5. Divide the batter into the prepared cups, filling each ⅔ of the way. Bake cupcakes until the center springs back when touched, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and let cool completely before icing.

Maple Marshmallow Frosting:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. In the meantime, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup until the mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat.
  2. With the mixer going, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the stiff egg whites. (Do not scrape the sides of the bowl, or sugar crystals will form in your frosting. Trust me!) Beat the frosting until it’s shiny and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Use a kitchen torch to toast the frosting slightly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 2g

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

© A Classic Twist
Cuisine: American / Category: Cupcakes