Apple Cider Cupcakes with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
Bake these Apple Cider Cupcakes for a fun fall treat, with their moist, tender crumb and cream cheese frosting - you cannot go wrong! No bourbon? No problem, just use apple cider in the frosting, too.
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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 411kcal
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons apple cider
Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Bourbon, or sub apple cider
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Apple Cider Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin tins with liners.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, use a hand or stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, to cream together sugars and butter for about 2-3 minutes. Once light and fluffy, add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition, and scraping the sides as needed.
- Combine oil and apple cider. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients together, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 dry additions, 2 wet additions). Mix together the batter until just combined between each addition.
- Divide the batter evenly between each muffin tin, filling approximately 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 14-17 minutes until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200°F. Be careful to not overbake. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add softened cream cheese and butter; beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Add bourbon, and vanilla extract if using, stirring to combine. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to combine between each addition. Continue mixing until smooth, adding an additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for a thicker texture.
- Spread or pipe the frosting on top of cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with additional cinnamon, as desired.
Notes
- Make the frosting alcohol-free by substituting apple cider in place of the bourbon.
- Apple cider or apple juice? You can use them interchangeably, however, if using juice I'd recommend replacing 1-2 teaspoons of it with lemon juice to add the tart flavor you get with apple cider.
- When updated in October 2020, the flour increased from 1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups, and the oil was added. The butter amount in the frosting was reduced from 1/4 cup to 2 TBSP to thicken the consistency, and additional apple cider was removed.
Nutrition
Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 235mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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