Apple Cider Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

A moist cupcake bursting with apple cider and topped with a rich and creamy maple-infused cream cheese frosting. The perfect Harvest time treat!

This past weekend I got enjoy one of my favorite annual traditions–a trip to Hood River, Oregon for the Fall Harvest Festival! 

Being that my mom is originally from Hood River, I grew up spending countless weekends (and sometimes weeks!) in this small, yet unbelievably beautiful city. It became a second home for me, and I love that it’s managed to stay the same after all these years with all of its rich farmland full of lush orchards.

Although any time’s a great time to visit Hood River, the best time would have to be during Fall. The trees are beginning to shed their beautiful leaves, the air is crisp and clear, and the smells of apple and pear trees almost perfume the entire city. A visit to Hood River is like a massage to the senses.

If you’ve never been to a harvest festival, you should definitely add it to your list of fun Fall things to do! Not only is it the best place to get your Fall produce (it’s literally straight from the grower!), but they have all kinds of vendors that sell fun, homemade, tasty, or unusual products–sort of like a big bazaar, I guess. But much, much, MUCH better!

Oh, and you can’t forget the oh-so-good-for-you Fair food that lures you in every time! It’s pretty much impossible for me to leave without snagging some of this…

 I HAD to get one of each (kettle and caramel) because it was two for $10, which is a much better deal than one bag for $6. So I saved $1! Kind of…who cares, it’s a good excuse for me to get two bags instead of one!

Along with what seems to be an endless array of apples and pears, I always see at least a few vendors selling freshly brewed hot apple cider. Besides the Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL, to those who want to sound ‘with it’), apple cider has to be THE most iconic drink of the Fall season. So what better way to celebrate the Harvest Festival than with a cupcake that represents all things Autumn?

Here it is…the Apple Cider Cupcake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

 This cupcake was way better than I ever could’ve imagined it to be. 

 It’s definitely not your typical apple cupcake. It’s an apple CIDER cupcake. To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of apple cakes, especially those with chunks of apples baked in (not my thing), but this cupcake had just the right amount of sweetness from the cider and tartness from the applesauce.

If Heaven has seasons, I’m pretty sure this is what Fall tastes like up there.

In order to get the cider flavor, I used a magical powder. It’s called…Alpine’s Original Spiced Apple Cider.

All you have to do is whisk it in with the dry ingredients, and that’s it! No need to add water or anything since other liquid ingredients will be added in it’s place. So simple and it lends just the right amount of spice to these cupcakes!

To top it off, I decided to go with a maple cream cheese frosting. Maple is another one of those Fall flavors that pairs perfectly with apple! Ever had apple pancakes with maple syrup? Yummmmm….

Trust me, this cupcake will not disappoint! 

Apple Cider Cupcakes with a Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

A moist cupcake bursting with apple cider and topped with a rich and creamy maple-infused cream cheese frosting. The perfect Harvest time treat!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings 18 Cupcakes

Ingredients

  

For the Cupcakes

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 (21g) packet Apple Cider mix (dry)*
• ½ stick unsalted butter softened to room temp.
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs at room temp.
• ½ cup vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup applesauce (I used homemade)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ cup salted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoon maple flavoring**
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• Walnuts (optional)

Instructions

 

To make the Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350ºF, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and Apple Cider mix. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla and mix to combine.
• With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix! Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, giving one last stir by hand to ensure everything's well blended.
• Using an ice cream scooper or two large spoons, scoop batter into lined muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To Make the Frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together on high, until smooth. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and maple flavoring and mix until combined.
• With mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time. Once all sugar has been added, whip frosting on high for about 30 seconds until light and fluffy.
• Frost cupcakes as desired. Top each one with a walnut. Cupcakes will stay fresh sealed in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.***

Notes

*I used Alpine brand's Spiced Apple Cider Original.

**The maple flavoring adds a much more concentrated maple flavor without adding a lot of liquid to the recipe which is why I used it in addition to regular maple syrup. You should be able to get maple flavoring at most grocery stores, but if you can't find it, increase the maple syrup to 4 tablespoons.

***I would suggest leaving the cupcakes out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. This will allow the cupcake to soften up a bit, so they're not as dense.