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Home » Cakes

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Published: Oct 24, 2023 by Jenn ·This post may contain affiliate links ·

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These Apple Pie Cupcakes have a surprise center of apple pie filling topped with a creamy maple vanilla frosting. Individual Apple Pie A'La Mode servings and you don't have to make a crust or deal with melted ice cream!

For this recipe I used cake flour and egg whites to create a light fluffy crumb on the cupcake. Maple vanilla buttercream and apple pie filling can be very rich, so a lighter cupcake texture creates a great balance.

Filled Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Maple Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
Apple Pie Cupcakes with Apple Pie Filling

Tips for Apple Pie Cupcakes

  • Use Cake Flour for a fluffier cake.
  • Cake Flour can be substituted for All Purpose Flour by measuring 1 Cup minus 2 tablespoon of All Purpose Flour for every 1 Cup of Cake Flour ( for this recipe that would be 3 Cups All Purpose Flour minus 6 Tbsp).
  • Let cupcakes cool completely before cutting center.
  • Using a melon ball scoop, or a small ¾-1 inch cookie cutter, remove a small amount of the center of each cupcake from the top dome.
  • Fill with apple pie filling enough to create a level surface with the remaining top of the cupcake.
  • Pipe frosting over entire surface of cupcake.
Filled Cupcakes with Apple Pie Filling

Tips for Maple Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • Make your frosting after you fill your cupcakes so its fresh!
  • Use room temperature butter
  • Whip vanilla and butter until fluffy
  • Then add your maple syrup. I prefer amber color, but any maple syrup will do!
  • Slowly add powdered sugar a cup at a time to prevent a cloud of sugar dust all over your kitchen!
Maple Vanilla Buttercream Cupcake Frosting on Apple Pie CUpcakes

Tips for Frosting your Apple Pie Cupcakes

  • Use a #4B  Star Tip to create a tight swirl
  • Trim end of plastic piping bag
  • Place tip into bag and push towards open tip, exposing metal star tip
  • Fill bag with maple vanilla buttercream using a spatula
  • Twist bag at the larger open end to prevent leaking
  • Squeeze buttercream towards decorating tip
  • Keep pressure at thickest part of bag to help frosting pipe more fluidly
  • Pipe starting on the edge of cupcake spiraling inwards towards the center
  • Finish by continue to squeeze frosting, pressing gently down and then pulling up (releasing pressure on piping bag)to create a chocolate tip on the cupcake.
  • Stir together 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Powder with 2 tablespoon Sugar and sprinkle across frosting.
Filled Cupcake Recipe with Maple Vanilla Frosting

Another Cupcake Recipe to Try is the Chocolate Espresso Banana Cupcakes!!

Filled Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Maple Vanilla Cupcake Frosting

Surprise Apple Pie Cupcakes

author: Jenn Davis
These Apple Pie Cupcakes have a surprise center of apple pie filling topped with a creamy maple vanilla frosting, and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
No ratings yet
Baking Tips Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients
 

Cupcake

  • 3 Cups (360 g) Cake Flour
  • 1 ¼ Cups (250 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 Cup (16 Tbsp) softened unsalted butter
  • 4 Egg Whites
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • ½ Cup (125 g) Unsweetened Apple Sauce
  • 1 Cup (250 ml) Unsweetened Almond Milk

Apple Pie Filling

  • 3 Large Granny Smith Apples Peeled and Chopped into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoon Water
  • 2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
  • ⅓ Cup (66 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoon Water

Maple Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 Cup (16 Tbsp) Softened Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 3 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Cup (60 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 4-5 Cups (500-625 g) Powdered Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Oven to 350 F (176 C) and line cupcake pan wells with 12 paper liners. (This recipe makes 18 cupcakes, so you can add a second pan with 6 liners or reuse the first pan.)
  • Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. (scrape bottom and sides of bowl with spatula as needed)
  • Continue on medium speed and add in egg whites one at a time. Whip until fluffy.
  • Pour in apple sauce and almond milk.
  • Mix until incorporated.
  • Pour wet mixture into large bowl of dry ingredients. Stir by hand with a whisk until smooth batter forms.
  • Using a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop, measure out 1.5 scoops (3 Tbsp) of batter into each cupcake liner. Each liner should be ¾ filled with batter.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  • Place pancake tray on cooling rack for 5 minutes.
  • Then remove each cupcake individually placing on rack. Let cupcakes completely cool before frosting.

Make Apple Pie Filling While Cupcakes are Baking

  • In a saucepan on medium heat, add apples, butter, spices, sugar and 3 tablespoon of water. Stir slowly until butter is melted, sugar dissolves, and apples begin to soften. (4-5 min)
  • Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoon of water in a cup stirring until liquid.
  • Pour in cornstarch mixture.
  • Continue to stir until bubbly and thick.
  • Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  • Use a ¾ inch melon ball scoop or spoon to remove center from cupcake dome. Fill with apple pie filling, then pipe with frosting!

Make your Maple Vanilla Buttercream

  • In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip on medium high softened butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
  • Add Maple Syrup, heavy cream, and salt. Continue on medium speed until incorporated.
  • Slowly add powdered sugar a cup at a time until buttercream is firm but creamy. (You may only need 4 cups).
  • Scoop buttercream into piping bag with desired decorating tip and pipe onto cupcakes.
  • See above for frosting tips!
  • Store cupcakes in an air tight container at room temp for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal
course Dessert
cuisine American
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below or by tagging @twocupsflour on instagram. I love seeing your fabulous creations!

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Comments

  1. Hannah

    October 30, 2018 at 6:13 am

    How do you get the pie filling in the cupcake?

    Reply
    • Jenn

      November 01, 2018 at 8:16 am

      See above for step by step instructions:)

      Reply
    • Michelle

      July 10, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      Would love to make these in the fall, but could I substitute the nutmeg with allspice? And could I substitute the almond milk with something? Please email back when you get a chance! Thank you in advance!

      Reply
      • Jenn

        July 10, 2020 at 9:30 pm

        Hi Michelle! Yes you can substitute the nutmeg for all spice but I would only use 1/4 tsp allspice. Also, you can swap the Almond Milk for Whole Milk 🙂

        Reply
  2. Anthony

    June 20, 2019 at 9:47 am

    your cupcakes look amazing, going to try them but no where in the recipe does it tell
    how and when to add the filling to the cupcakes. thanks

    Reply
    • Jenn

      June 21, 2019 at 9:15 am

      Hi Anthony, Tips for filling the cupcakes is in the post:)

      Reply
  3. Katherine Schmalz

    September 16, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    In the ingredients for the frosting it included heavy whipping cream and salt. But in the instructions it does not say anything about these two ingredients. Am I supposed to add these ingredients or not? Otherwise this recipe is amazing!

    Reply
    • Jenn

      September 17, 2020 at 9:51 am

      Yes, add cream and salt with the maple syrup:)

      Reply
  4. Angie

    October 04, 2021 at 5:49 am

    Can I use whole milk rather than almond milk?

    Reply
    • Jenn

      October 07, 2021 at 8:53 am

      Yes 🙂

      Reply

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