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It’s the beginning of school year. New classes, new peers, new activities, maybe even a new school. Why not try a new recipe!? In Minnesota, the fall temperatures and changing leaves are very evident. I saw a recipe via Urban Outfitter’s Pinterest called “Caramel Apple Spice Cupcakes” (originally adapted from America’s Best Recipes). It sounded like the perfect fall treat! Not only do I LOVE cupcakes, but boy oh boy do I looove caramel, and spice cake! All three combined just pretty much blew my mind, so of course I had to test this out to see what they were like. I used the recipe I discovered as a guideline, but definitely added my own tweaks!
First of all, you need to get prepared with ingredients:
1 (15.25-ounce) Betty Crocker Super Moist Spice Cake Mix (any other spice cake mix will do)
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
Chopped Granny Smith Apple (I used two, and they ended up being LOADED with apple, so just one would work best depending on your preference)
35 Kraft Caramels
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
Note: I added candy corn (Brach’s Autumn Mix) to the top of each cupcake; but this is completely optional. Feel free to add an extra caramel, more apple, a different candy, or whatever else you think of! I also added in some cinnamon and nutmeg to the spice cake to enhance the flavor a bit more.
Now, the instructions:
1. The first step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then combine the spice cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and milk until it looks and feels smooth (about 30-45 seconds). Scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to stir for 3 minutes, or beat on medium-high speed. Finally, stir in the chopped apple evenly through the mixture.
2. Spoon the batter into a paper-lined muffin or cupcake pan, filling each liner approximately 2/3 full. Put the pan(s) in the oven for about 20 minutes, checking occasionally by inserting a toothpick in the cupcakes to see if it comes out clean. After they look about done, take them out and put them on a wire rack to cool for a bit.
3. While the cupcakes are baking, put the stove on low heat and combine the caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan. While the caramels and cream are heating up, stir every minute or so. Make sure to keep the heat down low, or else the caramel will be too hard once it cools.
4. After the cupcakes and caramel are cooled down, spread caramel over one cupcake at a time. Try not to get the caramel on the cupcake liners, otherwise it will stick. Sprinkle each cupcake with pecans, making sure they stick to the caramel. You may have to press them down slightly. If you want to add candy corn, go for it! Store the cupcakes in a covered, airtight container. If you’re not eating them that day, you might want to refrigerate them so the caramel doesn’t melt, and so the apple in the cupcakes remains fresh.
This recipe made 18 large cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes. The house smelled amazing with the combination of spice cupcakes baking in the oven, and caramel on the stove. When they were ready to eat, I put together an apple cider ginger ale float to go along with them! I highly suggest trying this out, or if it’s not your thing, just try some other experiential recipe. I’m looking forward to making some mashed potato rings with ranch dip, crispy ravioli with marinara sauce, 
and red velvet crepes within the next few weeks. Or if you want to stick with the autumn vibe… try making some crock-pot baked apples, caramel apple crisp, fruit cobbler, or homemade soup!!
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Want a FREE MyMajors T-Shirt?! Send a picture of you making these cupcakes to joeh@mymajors.com!! … AMAZING cupcakes AND a free t-shirt sounds like a double win.
