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Toffee Apple Cupcakes

Soft apple and cinnamon cupcakes with a toffee buttercream and sticky toffee drizzle. These cupcakes are little cases of cupcake heaven.

12 Cupcakes

30 minutes, plus cooling

20-25 minutes

01

Ingredients

  • For the cupcakes:
  • 150g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g light brown soft sugar
  • 3 medium eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 175g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 150g peeled and cored eating apple, cut into small 5mm pieces
  • For the toffee sauce:
  • 75g light brown soft sugar
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 100ml double cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • For the buttercream:
  • 175g unsalted butter, softened
  • 325g icing sugar, sifted
  • 75g of the cooled toffee sauce
02

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
  2. Make the toffee sauce. Put the sugar, butter and cream into a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle bubble and simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt, then leave to cool completely.
  3. Beat the cupcake butter and sugar together for 3–4 minutes until lighter and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a spoonful of the measured flour.
  5. Gently fold in the remaining flour and cinnamon until just combined, then fold in the diced apple.
  6. Divide between the cupcake cases, filling each around two-thirds full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and springy and a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean.
  7. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the buttercream. Beat the butter for 4–5 minutes until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, then add 75g of the completely cooled toffee sauce. Beat until smooth and fluffy. If too soft to pipe, chill briefly.
  9. Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes, then drizzle with a little of the remaining toffee sauce. If the sauce is too thick, warm gently until pourable, then let it cool before drizzling.
  10. TIP Keep the apple pieces small so they soften during baking. Avoid adding extra apple, as this can make the sponge too wet.
  11. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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