Apple Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Comforting flavors like nutmeg and cinnamon dot each bite of these moist and flavorful apple cupcakes. The tiny and tender pieces of tart Granny Smith apples hiding inside melt in your mouth. Rich fudgelike salted caramel frosting is the perfect finishing touch and if youre up for accessorizing go for it! add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce too. What a cupcake!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 and 12 cups 188g allpurpose flour spooned leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
14 teaspoon baking powder

12 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 cup 8 Tbsp 113g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
23 cup 135g packed light or dark brown sugar
13 cup 65g granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
13 cup 80ml milk at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large apple peeled and finely chopped about 1 and 12 cups or 180g
Salted Caramel Frosting
12 cup 8 Tbsp 113g unsalted butter cut into 4 equal pieces
1 cup 200g packed light or dark brown sugar I like to use 12 cup of each
5 Tablespoons heavy cream divided
14 teaspoon salt
2 cups 240g confectioners sugar
optional garnish salted caramel sauce and apple slices
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F 177C. Line a 12cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 linersthis recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
Make the cupcakes Whisk the flour baking soda baking powder salt cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the melted butter brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract then whisk in the milk. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined. The batter will have a few lumps. Fold in the apples.
Fill the cupcake liners 34 of the way full with batter. Bake for 2123 minutes rotating the pan halfway through baking. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Start the frosting This frosting is popular so we have a separate salted caramel frosting post if you need more help making it. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon stir constantly as the butter melts. Once butter has melted switch to a whisk to make sure the two are really combined. Otherwise you might see an oily layer around the edges where theyre still a bit separated you do