Autumn Glory Ghostly Apple Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

These apple ghost cupcakes are a fun, seasonal dessert made with Autumn Glory® apples, warm spices, and a soft, tender crumb. The cupcakes are filled with fresh apples for natural sweetness and topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream frosting shaped into playful ghost designs. Perfect for Halloween parties, baking projects, or festive treats, this recipe combines classic apple flavor with a creative presentation. Easy to make and visually eye-catching, these cupcakes are a crowd-pleasing dessert for any celebration.

Ingredients

Autumn Glory® apple cupcakes:

• 1 ¼ cups Autumn Glory apples, peeled and diced

• ¼ cup melted and cooled salted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oat milk, room temperature
• ½ cup plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ fine salt

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 1½ cups salted butter, softened
• 4 ½ - 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 tablespoons oat milk
• Black writing icing
  

Directions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Whisk together melted butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add vanilla, oat milk, and yogurt until combined.
4. Once the wet ingredients are combined, add flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, gently mix the dry ingredients until a few lumps remain.
5. Gently fold in the diced apples.
6. Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full with batter.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
8. Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
    

Buttercream:

1. Beat the softened butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy and pale (about 2-3 minutes.)
2. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, vanilla, and one tablespoon of milk until combined.
3. Add 1-2 additional tablespoons of milk if it's too thick, or powdered sugar if it's too thin, as needed to achieve a pipeable consistency.

Assembling:

1. Using a large round tip, pipe vanilla buttercream in the center of each cupcake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Pipe to about 1½- 2 inches tall.
2. Shape into ghosts using an offset spatula warmed under hot water and dried. Wipe the spatula clean and rewarm it in between each smoothing motion.
3. Add eyes and a mouth to each ghost using black writing icing with a small round tip.
4. Finish by piping small arms with the remaining buttercream using a small round tip.
5. Serve.
6. ENJOY!

Recipe created by Thank You Berry Much for Superfresh Growers®.