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These Apple Cider Cupcakes are topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and are stuffed with apple butter! These are the perfect Fall cupcakes, ideal for a cozy night in or special occasion!
For more apple recipes, try my apple fritter cake, apple cider donuts and salted caramel apple crumb cake!
Ok, I was thinking of a new cupcake recipe that encompassed the essence of Fall. The first that came to mind was apple cider … and because I love a good cupcake, merging the two seemed like it’d be a huge hit. Well, this apple cider cupcake recipe has exceeded my wildest expectations.
The cupcake is moist and flavorful and has a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to add a warm depth of flavor. Then there’s the apple butter filling that just makes this one of my new favorite things to make during the Fall season. Oh and you can make the cake version with my apple cider cake next.
The reduced apple cider also adds a tangy sweetness that pairs perfectly with the vanilla, giving the cupcakes a unique twist.
The texture is soft with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. These cupcakes are a must-try if you’re craving something sweet, spiced, and special for fall!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
– Absolutely Delicious! These cupcakes feature a surprise apple butter filling in the middle. And the reduced apple cider, creates a rich and flavorful treat in every bite.
– Incredibly Moist! The combination of apple cider and brown sugar ensures these cupcakes are moist and tender. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture makes them irresistible!
– Great Dessert for Fall! This easy Fall cupcake recipe is packed with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, these cupcakes capture the flavors of the season.
Apple Cider Cupcake Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Fresh Apple Cider – not to be confused with apple juice, we’re going to boil down the apple cider to create a apple cider reduction which is a great way to infuse the cupcakes with that apple cider flavor, kinda like what I did with my caramel dutch apple pie.
- Cinnamon stick – I put the cinnamon stick in the apple cider to boost the flavor of the apple cider reduction. Just one stick goes a long way and you can use it as a cute garnish on top, too!
- Cake Flour or All Purpose Flour – this is the base of the cupcakes and provides structure.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
- Warm Spices – ground cinnamon and nutmeg, and just a pinch of ground cloves (which is essentially apple pie spice) come together to impart those warm Fall flavors into these delicious cupcakes.
- Vegetable oil – This adds moisture to the cupcakes, giving them a soft, spongy texture that lasts for days.
- Brown Sugar – brown sugar gives these cupcakes a light caramel-like sweetness.
- Apple butter – for that delicious apple flavor, adding apple butter in the center of the cupcakes is a GAME CHANGER. It also
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Reduced apple cider – This intensifies the apple flavor in the frosting for a perfect complement to the cupcakes.
- Cream Cheese – we’re using cold cream cheese like I did with my black velvet cake. It keep the buttercream frosting stable so that you can pipe it on top of the cupcakes while adding a great deal of flavor!
- Salted butter – Room temperature butter creates a creamy, smooth base for the buttercream.
- Confectioner’s sugar – aka powdered sugar. This gives the frosting its sweetness and thickens it to the right consistency.
- Vanilla bean paste – The pure vanilla flavor is a nice backdrop to the apple cider and cinnamon.
- Cinnamon – The spice adds warmth to the buttercream, tying the flavors together perfectly.
How to Make Apple Cider Cupcakes
Step 1: Add apple cider and a cinnamon stick to a saucepan over high heat. Boil for about 30-40 minutes, until the cider reduces to 1 cup. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Combine cake flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reduced apple cider, sour cream, whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Add cupcakes liners to a 12 cup cupcake pan. Fill each cup about 2/3 full of the cupcake batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Make the buttercream. Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then add the remaining 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider, confectioners sugar, vanilla bean paste, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy, then add cold cream cheese and mix until combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favorite attachment.
Step 6: Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each cupcake with apple butter, then pipe a generous amount of icing on top.
Pro Tips for the Best Apple Cider Cupcakes
- Reduce the apple cider properly. Be patient and boil it over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup of liquid, then pour it in a heat safe container and allow it to cool completely. Don’t rush this step because it enhances the overall taste.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures a smoother batter and more even baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter. To avoid dense cupcakes, only mix until the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fill your muffin cups 2/3 full. This gives the cupcakes room to rise without overflowing.
- Cool completely before frosting. Frosting too early can cause the apple cider buttercream to melt and slide off.
- Prep in advance. You can reduce the apple cider a day ahead and store it in the fridge to save time.
Storage
Store leftover apple cider cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you’d like to keep them longer, refrigerate them for up to five days, but allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Reducing the apple cider intensifies the flavor, giving it a stronger, more concentrated apple taste. It ensures the apple flavor stands out in both the cupcakes and buttercream.
You can substitute apple butter with any fruit preserves or caramel if you prefer a different flavor. However, apple butter pairs best with the spiced flavors in the cupcakes.
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic zip-top bag. Simply fill it with the buttercream, cut a small hole in one corner, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. You can also just spoon the frosting onto the cupcake, too.
More Cupcake Recipes
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Apple Cider Cupcakes
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- Muffin tin
- Wire Rack
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Apple Cider Reduction
- 6 cups apple cider, reduced to 1 cup
- 1 cinnamon stick
Apple Cider Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup Reduced Apple Cider , (from above)
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream, (room temperature)
- 2 large Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil, (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp Whole Milk, (room temperature)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 cup Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Apple Butter, (filling)
Apple Cider Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1/2 cup Reduced Apple Cider
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 3 cups Confectioner's Sugar
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, (cold)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Add apple cider and a cinnamon stick to a saucepan over high heat. Boil for about 30-40 minutes, until the cider reduces to 1 cup. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reduced apple cider, sour cream, whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream. Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then add the remaining 1/2 cup of reduced apple cider, confectioners sugar, vanilla bean paste, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy, then add cold cream cheese and mix until combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favorite attachment.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each cupcake with apple butter, then pipe a generous amount of icing on top.
Notes
- Reduce the apple cider properly. Be patient and boil it over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup of liquid, then pour it in a heat safe container and allow it to cool completely. Don’t rush this step because it enhances the overall taste.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures a smoother batter and more even baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter. To avoid dense cupcakes, only mix until the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fill your muffin cups 2/3 full. This gives the cupcakes room to rise without overflowing.
- Cool completely before frosting. Frosting too early can cause the apple cider buttercream to melt and slide off.
- Prep in advance. You can reduce the apple cider a day ahead and store it in the fridge to save time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Original recipe easy to make and delicious
thank you!
These turned out delicious! My local grocery stores were out of apple cider so I used honeycrisp apple juice (the cloudy kind, unsweetened) so I think the flavor profile was close enough. Super apple-y and lovely spice flavors!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them, this is one of my favorite recipes!
Hi – this recipe looks delicious! I don’t see an oven temp, though, in the recipe. What temp should we bake these cupcakes at?
Thanks!
Hi! Thank you! These should be baked at 350 degrees F. Enjoy!