Apple Cider Cupcakes
These easy cupcakes are made with apple cider, warm spices, and then topped with an apple cider buttercream, and pie crumbs!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup (180 g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter melted, slightly cooled
- 1 cup (207 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) apple cider, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Cupcake Pans
- Wilton 2D Tip
- Cupcake Liners
- Whisk
For the buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup (107 g) light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
- pinch table salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the pie crumbs
- 3/4 cup (120 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons water
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and whisk to combine. Mix in the eggs and egg white until incorporated. Add the vanilla.
- Alternate the dry ingredients and cider beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir just until incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
For the buttercream
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered (confectioners sugar) one cup at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add in your apple cider, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and mix on medium to high speed for 8 minutes until light and creamy. Once cupcakes are cooled, fill the piping bag and pipe the frosting on top.
- If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy.
For the pie crumbs
- Heat the oven to 350oF.
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until well mixed.
- Add the butter, and water and mix on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
- Spread the clusters on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or line with a silicone baking mat). Bake for 25 minutes, breaking them up occassionally. The crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch at this point. They will dry and harden as they cool.
- Let the crumbs cool completely before sprinkling over the cupcakes as a garnish. You can store these in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Be sure to measure your flour correctly by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and then level off with a knife. Make sure your large eggs are room temperature. Place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them in your recipe Double check that your baking powder is still fresh. Because this recipe uses melted butter there is no creaming step to incorporate air, so you need to make sure the baking powder is fresh so your cupcakes rise properly. To check the freshness, add a teaspoon of baking powder to some hot water. If it bubbles, it's still fresh. If it doesn't throw it out. Use an oven thermometer to make sure that your oven is heated correctly.