Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Who doesn’t love going to carnivals? I look forward to the rides, games, and of course, all of the yummy food! Funnel cakes, smoked turkey legs, cotton candy, and caramel apples are always at the top of my list for must-eats. I know, I know…carnival season is months away, so I must suffer until then…or, do I? I didn’t want to buy a whole bag of apples just to make caramel apples. Plus, I didn’t know if my husband would want to help eat them all. I know one thing he would help me eat are cupcakes. Now, I could satisfy my pregnancy craving with these Caramel Apple Cupcakes and not over-indulge (at least not by myself). Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

2 ½ Cups Cake Flour

1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp. Vanilla Pudding Mix

1 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar

3 Tsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 Tsp. Salt

2 Cups Apple Pie Filling, Chopped

½ Cup Butter, Softened

1 ¼ Cup Milk

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs, Beaten

For the Caramel Sauce

1 ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar

½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

4 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

½ Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

½ Tsp. Salt

For the Frosting

2 ½ Cup Powdered Sugar

¼ Cup Butter, Softened

2 Tbsp. Milk

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cupcake liners into cupcake pan. In a large mixing bowl, on low to medium speed, blend all ingredients. Fill each cupcake liner with 2 ½ Tbsp. of batter. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until cake test is passed. Remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool on cooling rack. Once cooled, cut a shallow hole into the top center of the cupcake. Set aside.

For the Caramel Sauce

Place all ingredients in small pot and cook over medium to high heat, while constantly stirring. Allow sauce to come to a slight boil and reduce heat to low. Continue stirring for 1 minute. Remove sauce from heat and set aside to cool. Once cooled, fill holes in every cupcake with 1 tsp. of caramel sauce. Set aside.

For the Frosting

On low to medium speed, blend all ingredients. Top cupcakes with frosting.

If you like easy desserts, you may like this 3-minute microwave peach cobbler.