Vegan Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Aquafaba Marshmallow Frosting
Say hello to your new favorite fall cupcake! There are so many fall flavors and treats that I adore and not enough time to enjoy them all, which is why I often find myself combining them into one recipe that ticks all of the boxes. Cider? Check! Cinnamon? Check! Just-picked apples? Check! Homemade caramel? OMG check! And they’re all rolled into these fluffy and tender cupcakes that are not only vegan, but also light on the (unrefined) oil and made with wholesome white spelt flour. These cupcakes are perfect for that 3pm slump or as a fun and festive dessert.
So many of you have asked for more aquafaba uses after I shared my vegan pavlova a while back. I love that pavlova because it’s such a show-stopper, but the process of baking it can be a little finicky and time-consuming. THIS marshmallow fluff frosting is one of the many great uses for the easy aquafaba fluff recipe I posted last week. It takes just five minutes and it’s so simple, you’ll want to add it to your regular frosting rotation. And really, what cupcake can’t benefit from a few big swirls of fluffy marshmallow topping?
These babies take full advantage of apple season, with a sweet batter that uses cider instead of milk, applesauce in place of lots of oil, and then they’re studded with fresh apple pieces throughout. Cover them with a generous pour of 3-ingredient caramel sauce for a new twist on that perfectly fall, chewy caramel apple tradition.
Vegan Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Aquafaba Marshmallow Frosting
Vegan Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Aquafaba Marshmallow Frosting
Serves: 18 cupcakes
Cook Time: 26 mins
Vegan Caramel Apple Cupcakes packed with your favorite Fall flavors! They're light on oil, made with healthier white spelt flour, and so easy to make!
Cuisine: Vegan Servings: 18 cupcakes
Cook Time: 26 mins
Vegan Caramel Apple Cupcakes packed with your favorite Fall flavors! They're light on oil, made with healthier white spelt flour, and so easy to make!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease or line a cupcake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple cider, brown sugar, applesauce, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Sift in the spelt flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the batter until just combined, then fold in the diced apples.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cupcake pan, filling each tin until the batter is ¼ inch from the top. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Toss the unpeeled diced apple in the lemon juice. Spoon a generous dollop of the prepared marshmallow fluff onto each cupcake (or pipe it on with a piping bag). Drizzle the caramel sauce over top and sprinkle with a few diced apple pieces. Serve immediately.
Notes [3]
These cupcakes should be assembled right before you plan to serve them or else the cake will absorb the caramel and marshmallow frosting. If you’d like to make some components in advance, I recommend preparing the vegan caramel and baking the cupcakes. The aquafaba marshmallow frosting should be prepared right before you plan to frost the cupcakes.
Make sure you allow the caramel sauce to come to room temperature before using it or it will be too thick.
Not quite ready to jump on the aquafaba bandwagon? Use my vegan buttercream frosting instead!
Copyright © 2023 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
