Easy One Bowl Apple Spice Cupcakes
If you’ve been searching for an easy apple spice cupcake recipe, this one-bowl version might be your new favorite. These cupcakes were a hit at the party I took them to. I didn’t have any leftovers to take home. My mom even made these for a party she was going to, and they were a hit as well. They have such amazing flavor. They are good plain or frosted. I could make these year-round.
There’s a reason why people flock to the pumpkin spice and apple spice flavors this time of year-they’re so bountiful and they’re just so good! It’s the time of year when we really crave the warm spices and flavors. But you probably already knew that. If you’re looking for an amazing dessert to take to your next holiday gathering, that’s also easy to make (one bowl), then you’ve found your dessert. And the Vanilla Buttercream frosting couldn’t be easier to make. If you like this recipe, you’ll definitely want to give my Classic Homemade Carrot Cake a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Best Baking Apples
There are so many varieties of apples, it’s hard to know which ones are the best for baking, eating, making sauce. Sometimes it comes down to individual preference, and some apples do better at one thing than another. The following four are my favorites for eating and baking.
- Granny Smith This is the most tart one on this list. It is excellent for baking pies and eating, if you love eating a tart apple. It has smooth, green skin with a firm flesh that’s not overly juicy.
- Pink Lady Probably the sweetest of all four. It’s flesh is pink and it is quite a large apple. It still have enough tartness to counteract the sweetness, and it has a nice firm flesh. Great for baking and eating.
- Northern Spy This is one I just discovered only a couple of years ago, though it’s been around since the 1800’s. A nice mix of tart and sweet, it is delicious for eating and baking, especially pies. It has a firm flesh and is not overly watery. (I don’t like watery apples) I have not seen these in stores, only at apple orchards.
- Evercrisp This is also one I just discovered this year when visiting a local apple orchard. One bite and I was sold. A mix between a Fuji and a Honeycrisp, it also has a nice tartness and sweetness with a satisfying crunch and a nice firm flesh. Another one I have not seen sold in stores, just at apple orchards. Guess you’ll have to take a trip to your local apple orchard. I can’t think of anything more fun to do on a nice, fall day.
Why I love this recipe
How does it taste? Absolutely delicious! And with the vanilla frosting and caramel drizzle? Out of this world!
How does it smell? Almost as good as they taste! The warm scent of cinnamon and cloves fills the air while they are baking.
Is it easy to make? Yes, these are pretty easy to make. They’re made all in one bowl, which contributes to it’s ease of making, and clean up.
Would I make it again? Most definitely! They were a hit!
Ingredients
- Flour All-purpose works best.
- Sugar White and Brown sugar both go in this recipe.
- Butter Room temperature butter for easy mixing.
- Eggs Two large eggs, room temperature.
- Oil Vegetable oil not olive oil. We don’t want the flavor of olive oil in this recipe.
- Yogurt Adds some moisture and a bit of tanginess.
- Apple Cider Adds some extra apple flavor.
- Baking Soda and Powder For just enough rise.
- Apple Any apple variety will do, though I love Pink Lady, Granny Smith and Northern Spy.
- Vanilla A little sweet, a little spicy with floral undertones. Who says vanilla is boring?!
- Salt Brings out the flavors of the cupcakes.
- Spices Cinnamon, cloves, all-spice.
How to Make Apple Spice Cupcakes
Step One Line a muffin tin with muffin papers or silicone baking cups. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core the apple. Shred in food processor. I like to slice the apple up a bit before adding it to the food processor.
Step Two Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. (Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt)
Step Three Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cream together. This is the reverse creaming method. This method allows you to make the cupcakes in one bowl rather than the traditional way of creaming the sugar and butter first. It also helps to create a velvety texture and less doming.
Step Four Beat in the eggs. Next, beat in the oil, yogurt and vanilla. Then, fold in the shredded apple until just combined with the batter. You don’t want to overmix.
Step Five Pour batter into the paper-lined muffin tin, filling the wells just slightly over half full. You don’t want to over fill them. You want them to rise just to the tops of the muffin papers so you have a nice, flat top for decorating.
Step Six Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step Seven Once they are done, remove from the oven and let rest for ten minutes. Then, remove them from the muffin pan onto a cooling rack to cool down fully.
Step Eight You’ll definitely want to enjoy one of these cupcakes warm. If you are decorating with my Vanilla Frosting, you will want them to be fully cooled down before you start or the frosting will melt.
FAQ’s
While they can sit on the counter for a while, I wouldn’t leave them out for more than one day. They will eventually become hard and stale. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days for maximum freshness. I put this in a resealable plastic bag, each cupcake laid flat.
Yes, you can freeze them. Let them cool down fully, then put them in an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator. You can freeze then decorated and undecorated, though it’s much easier to freeze them undecorated as they take up less room in the freezer.
Vegetable oil helps to make these cupcakes moist. The yogurt and apples help as well, but the oil really does the trick.
Any firm flesh apple works well in this recipe. Some favorites are Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Ever Crisp, and Northern Spy.
Other Recipes to Try
- Easy Homemade Apple Crisp
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
- One Bowl Blueberry Coffee Cake
Apple Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large apple
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Line a muffin tin with muffin papers and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the apple and shred with a food processor.
- You can use either a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. (2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon all-spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt)
- Use either a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Cream the butter in with the dry ingredients.
- Add the eggs and mix in.
- Mix in the 1/4 cup oil, 1/3 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup apple cider, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Fold in the shredded apple till it is just combined with the batter.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tin, filling each well just over half full.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When they are done baking, let them sit on the stovetop for 10 minutes, then remove them from the muffin tin.
- Frost the cupcakes with vanilla frosting, or a frosting of your choosing. Or, enjoy with vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- These cupcakes can be frozen. Let fully cool down, then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- If you do not have apple cider, you could use apple juice or apple sauce.
Nutrition
About Author
