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–+ servings
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recipe
4.53 from 21 votes
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Apple Crisp Cupcakes

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Apple crisp cupcakes transform classic apple crisp into cupcake form. The cupcakes are made with moist, fluffy cinnamon cake, cinnamon buttercream frosting, apple cinnamon filling, and a crumble topping. Add these delicious cupcakes to your fall baking list.

Equipment

Ingredients 

Cinnamon Cupcakes

  • 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
  • 1 tsp (2 g) cinnamon
  • ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup (59 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 (1) egg room temperature
  • 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) sour cream room temperature
  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (118 ml) milk room temperature

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tsp (1 tsp) cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) salt
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream

Apple Cinnamon Filling

  • 2 ½ cups (313 g) peeled and finely diced apples Granny Smith, honeycrisp, or pink lady
  • 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (59 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
  • 1 tsp (2 g) cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch

Crumble Topping

  • ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter room temperature, cubed

Instructions

Cinnamon Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter and vegetable oil until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  • Pour in half of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Pour in the milk and mix well. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
  • Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop, about ¾ full. 
  • Bake for 20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched. Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.
  • Add vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt and mix on low until combined. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
  • Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium and mix for an additional 3 minutes until smooth.

Apple Cinnamon Filling

  • In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the peeled and diced apples, granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally until the apples have softened.
  • In a separate small bowl, stir together 1 tbsp water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the apples and immediately mix well to thicken the filling.
  • Transfer to a heatproof container to cool to room temperature before using.

Crumble Topping

  • In a mixing bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cubed unsalted butter and use a fork or your hands to mix the butter into the dry ingredients to create the crumble. The mixture should resemble coarse sand.
  • Pour the crumble onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the crumble at 350℉ for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to break up the crumble, until it is golden-brown.
  • Remove the crumble from the oven, continuing to stir every few minutes until cooled.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 826 piping tip with the cinnamon buttercream frosting. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edges of the cupcake to create a well in the center.
  • Spoon the apple cinnamon filling in the middle of the buttercream ring and sprinkle the top of the apples with the crumble topping.

Notes

Apple crisp cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. For best results, sprinkle the crumble topping on the cupcakes the day you serve the cupcakes.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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