Say What?! That’s right I said Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes!
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I wholeheartedly agree with Plato who said, “Necessity is the mother of all invention”. I had received a last minute plea for baked good donations for a women’s group fundraiser I looked in my pantry to see what I had and put my creativity cap on.
And the Caramel Apple Pie Cupcake was born!
What’s On Hand
When you’re in a pinch to make something quick, start with what you have on hand. You can put just a few ingredients into Google and recipes will pop up before your eyes.
In this case, I had a box of yellow cake mix, a can of apple pie filling, and a bottle of Smuckers Caramel Sauce. Caramel and apples go great together in many forms, so why not cupcakes!
I’ve made stuffed cupcakes before. It’s amazing what you can put inside a cupcake. Growing up, I used to ask my mom for “Surprise Cupcakes”. She knew I meant her chocolate cupcakes with the yummy cream filling she’d make. I called them surprise cupcakes because once she iced them, you couldn’t tell there was anything different about them. It was a wonderful surprise when you bit into them and found the delicious cream center.
Can Do How To
After the cupcakes have baked, and cooled, You can use just about anything to core them to make room for the filling. An apple corer, the large end of a large cake tip, or even a butter knife or cereal spoon will work. Make a circle with one of the tools and cut about 2/3 way down in the cupcake. Pull out the “core” (middle) and set it aside. Fill the hole with the filling and top with a cap from a piece of the saved core. Decorate using white icing.
Finish off the cupcake by drizzling the caramel sauce across the cupcakes in a grid pattern. This will give the look of a lattice top like an apple pie.
These cupakes are easy to make and received rave reviews. Topped with gooey Smucker’s Caramel Sauce, my family now asks for them all the time! They’re simple & quick to make. Give them a try!
Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes
Deliciously simple Caramel Apple Pie cupcakes will be the hit of any party!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 Box Your favorite Yellow cake mix plus recommended ingredients, follow the directions on the box, (I prefer Betty Crocker myself)
Apple Pie Filling
- 21 oz Canned Apple Pie Filling
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Toppings
- I can Your favorite Vanilla icing (or you can make homemade Buttercream.)
- 1 bottle Smucker’s Caramel Sundae Syrup
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with paper wrappers.
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Mix cupcakes following directions on the box. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full to get nice, full cupcakes. Bake 15 mins and test doneness by touching the top of a cupcake. If it springs back they’re done. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
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While you’re waiting for the cupcakes to cool, pour apple pie filling into a small bowl. Be sure to cut up any of the apple chunks into smaller, pea sized pieces since they’re going into a cupcake.
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Add the cinnamon & nutmeg to the apple pie filling and stir until thoroughly mixed together. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut the centers out of the cupcakes (be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the cupcake. Leave at least 3/4 inch of cupcake at the bottom). Cut the top off the cored piece and save.
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Spoon a dollop of the apple mixture into the center of each of the cool cupcakes. Replace the core tops back on the cupcake to hide the filling.
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Decorate the tops of each cupcake with vanilla icing.
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Drizzle the caramel sauce horizontally & vertically creating a lattice effect to mimic an apple pie crust.
Recipe Notes
Either store bought or homemade icing can be used for these delicious cupcakes. I’ve posted my favorite Vanilla Buttercream Icing recipe below if you prefer homemade.
Rhonda’s Vanilla Buttercream Icing
This sweet Vanilla Buttercream icing is perfect as a filling between cake layers, or top your yummy cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Butter, softened
- 1/2 C Crisco Vegetable Shortening
- 1/2 C Water
- 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
- 2 lbs Powdered Sugar
Instructions
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Use your standing mixer with the flat beater attachment or your handheld mixer to cream together butter & shortening in a large mixing bowl. Add water and vanilla and beat together with your mixer on low speed until fully incorporated.
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Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating with mixer on low/medium speed until fully mixed.
Recipe Notes
You can make your icing thinner by adding a little more water (just add one Tbs at a time), or thicker by adding powdered sugar (1/4 C at a time).
This icing is great for decorating the tops of cupcakes or laying in between cake layers but does not work well as a decorator icing for making flowers or other decor. The butter in this icing makes it too soft to keep the proper shape of flowers.
You can also make a lighter, whipped version of this icing by beating it on high with the wire whip attachment on your standing mixer.
Like making cupcakes? Try these Rainbow Cupcakes out! They’re easy & delicious!