Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 3/4 cup of salted butter, slightly melted
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (½ 8-ounce package) cream cheese, chilled from the fridge
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup homemade or prepared caramel, or salted caramel sauce at room temperature, plus more to drizzle on top of cupcakes
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add egg whites, vanilla extract, sour cream, milk and butter and mix on medium speed just until smooth being careful not to over-mix. Fold in chopped apples.
Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 17-19 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, using an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add cream cheese, caramel and vanilla; beat until fully incorporated. Gradually increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula.
Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating on low speed, until well combined. Beat on high speed until well combined and smooth while scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes.
Fill piping bag with frosting and frost the tops of the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle iced cupcakes with remaining caramel.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.