Description
Baking apple cider cupcakes spiced buttercream frosting means combining tender cupcakes infused with tangy apple cider and warm spices, then topping them with a rich, cinnamon-kissed frosting that brings everything together. You get that perfect balance of fall flavors in each bite, making these little treats ideal for sharing with people you care about.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry ingredients for cupcakes:
- 1.33 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon allspice
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Wet ingredients for cupcakes:
- 0.5 cup butter, melted
- 0.5 cup brown sugar
- 0.33 cup applesauce
- 0.5 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Frosting ingredients:
- 0.5 cup butter, softened
- 1.5 tablespoons apple cider
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, giving them a light spray of non-stick coating.
- Whisk together 1 1/3 cups oat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, and a pinch of cloves in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup melted butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar until the texture turns smooth and light.
- Pour 1/3 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup apple cider, and 1 tsp vanilla extract into your butter mixture and blend everything together.
- Crack in 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so they incorporate fully.
- Fold your dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until no streaks of flour remain.
- Distribute the batter evenly among your liners, filling each about three-quarters of the way.
- Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops feel springy.
- Remove your cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before you apply frosting.
- Beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until creamy.
- Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar to your butter mixture, stirring between each addition to keep things smooth.
- Stir in 1-2 tbsp apple cider, adjusting the amount based on how thick or thin your frosting should be.
- Spread or pipe the spiced buttercream frosting generously onto each cooled cupcake.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter for the frosting so it creams smoothly without lumps, making your frosting silky and easy to spread on each cupcake.
- Don’t skip cooling the cupcakes completely before frosting them, or the buttercream will melt and slide right off into a messy puddle.
- If your frosting feels too thick, add apple cider one teaspoon at a time rather than pouring it in all at once, since it’s easier to thin it out than to thicken it back up.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the oat flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend and your cupcakes will turn out just as tender and moist as the original recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-22 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 243 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg