Mini Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

Been very quiet around here lately. That's my fault, shame on me! Some time in November I stopped everything else and spent every free minute crocheting Christmas gifts. I don't know what good it did me, since I wound up getting gift cards for most people anyway. :o( Next year I start in September.

So enough of the quiet, I need to catch up. I made these caramel apple cupcakes for my crochet group before the holidays. They were really good, but a lot of work, and would probably work better in standard sized cupcakes! I heart mini cupcakes so much, and these were so cute on the sticks, but with the filling they sort of start to fall apart once they get a little warm. So if you make minis, keep them in the fridge and once you take them out, eat them quick!



 

I also drizzled vanilla bean caramel sauce on these for added caramel-ness. The recipe is here, be careful with it. ;o) 


 Mini Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Adapted from Java Cupcake

Note: I found the cupcake, filling and frosting recipes from the original recipe are for a double batch of cupcakes (60 something minis, 24 regular), but my apple mixture for the cream cheese filling only yielded 1/2 cup. It calls for 1 cup! The yield on the recipe below here should be 30-ish minis, and about 12 - 14 regular cupcakes, all around! :o) BUT let me know if you find out otherwise!


Make the apple mixture for filling

3 Granny Smith apples, diced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot water plus 2 tablespoon corn starch

1. Over medium high heat, mix together all the ingredients in a frying pan on the stove.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Set aside to cool completely.

If you want to make your caramel drizzle as well, now is the best time so it can cool! Head over here for the recipe!

 Make you cupcakes while apple mixture cools



1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/8 cup apple juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup apple mixture

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, juice and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Add the flour to the wet mixture and mix together just until combined.
5. Fold in the apple mixture.
6. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pans.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in pans for about 7 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Might as well make the frosting too while the apple mixture is cooling

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar

1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 - 3 tablespoons caramel syrup

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
2. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until smooth.
4. Add the cream as needed to thin out a touch.
5. Mix in the caramel syrup and mix until smooth.

Finish up the cream cheese filling

4 oz cream cheese (half the package), room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple mixture
1/2 - 1 tablespoon heavy cream (if needed)

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Mix in the vanilla.
4. Add the apple mixture and mix on low until just combined.
5. If mixture is too thick, add the heavy cream as needed to smooth out.

 Exhausted yet? Tough...time to assemble the cupcakes!

1. Fill the cupcakes by cutting out the center of each cupcake and piping in the apple cream cheese filling. A nice lil photo tutorial is here.
2. Frost!
3. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
4. Roll the cupcakes in your chosen topping. I used pecans and mini chocolate chips. :oD
5. Add some cute lil sticks for caramel apple cupcakes on a stick!
6. Store in fridge until time to eat! 
7. Actually, just eat them now! You probably need a sugar boost after all that work!