Name: Apple Cider Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: one box vanilla cake mix; ingredients to prepare boxed cake mix; 5 packets spiced apple cider drink mix; 1 and 1/2 cups caramel candy cubes; 1 container vanilla icing; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (taste as you go); powdered sugar (as needed)

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Apple Cider Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting is the perfect simple dessert recipe to celebrate the fall season.

Pumpkin may be the pretty pretty princess of the season, but let’s just take a moment to acknowledge The Queen. Oh, hayyyyyyyy. How about them apples? Seriously though. Apples, amiright? Let’s make us some Apple Cider Cupcakes, yo!

These delicious fruits have been ushering in fall since time itself and they’re just not about to walk off the stage because some cute ginger has caught everyone’s eye. And why should they? There’s room enough for everyone and today, apple cider – the original fall flavor – is getting her due.

These Apple Cider Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting are incredibly simple to put together and will bowl over your friends every time. Sweet and spiced with a touch of salt in the caramel. Yes. Yes, this needs to happen in your kitchen.

Speaking of queens, I’m queen of the kitchen hacks, so you know we’re using a box cake mix today with some extra added deliciousness.

Did you know that if you beat cake mix with an electric mixer for a minute or two it incorporates air into the batter and makes the cake extra light and fluffy?

We also used a can of vanilla icing with a little something extra added. This recipe really couldn’t get any simpler. A large star tip on the icing bag gave us these beautiful roses and a dash of gold sprinkles finished them off with the most elegant look.

They’re almost too pretty to eat. But since nothing delicious is *actually* too pretty to eat, make sure you have a few.

Most of these cupcakes are elegant and beautiful, but I did put a few aside for some Halloween fun, because everyone needs a killer cupcake at least once in their lives.

I’m pretty sure something like 32% of all Halloween horror films have at least one scene filmed in an apple orchard. So it seemed appropriate.

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Betty Crocker Baking Supermoist Cake Mix – Did you know if you add an extra egg, switch the water for milk, and the oil for butter, your box cake mix will taste like a bakery cake? Try it next time and let me know what you think!
Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix – We love this apple cider mix for both drinking and cooking. Super yummy!
Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Frosting – You could make your own icing base, but we like to cheat a little and start with canned frosting. No shame in my game.
Kraft America’s Classic Caramels – Um, p.s. I love caramel. Lurrrrrve.
Wilton 1M Open Star Piping Tip – This piping tip is my absolute favorite piping tip ever. If you watch our live show, you’ll recognize it as the one we use to make roses!
Culinary Parchment Baking Cups – Not only are these baking cups super pretty, but nothing sticks to parchment paper, so they’re super practical too.
Wilton Gold Pearlized Sprinkles Mix – Have I told you about my cabinet of sprinkles? Let’s just say, I have a lot of sprinkles.

If you love these Apple Cider Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting, then make sure to check out some of our other yummy cake recipes!

Cranberry Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Sugar Drizzle – This is the perfect simple but beautiful holiday cake!
Easy Cinnamon Mug Cake Recipe – When you want cake, but not a whole cake, this cinnamon mug cake recipe is the perfect solution.
Chocolate Overload Cake – Five layers tall! Easy to make, but impressive to see! And omgggggg, the chocolate.
White Chocolate and Peppermint Cupcakes – It’s like Christmas in a cupcake! Our white chocolate and peppermint cupcake recipe is spot. on.
Double Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes – Chocolate + coffee = Mmmmmmm. And can we talk about the fact that the cupcakes are just dripping with delicious ganache.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting – Maybe Santa would like a change of pace. Some pumpkin spice cupcakes with eggnog frosting instead of cookies, perhaps?