Apple Streusel Cupcakes

Orange-scented butter cupcakes layered with brown sugar, apple and cinnamon streusel, with more streusel baked on top and a thin orange glaze. Makes about 18.

Vegetarian

Contains: milk, egg, tree nuts, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

From our family's recipe card collection. See more in Family Heirloom Recipes.

Apple streusel cupcakes with crumbly brown sugar topping and a drizzle of glaze
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Total 1 hr
  • Yield About 18 cupcakes

Updated

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The batter and streusel from our apple streusel cake make wonderful cupcakes: a layer of batter, a spoonful of streusel, more batter, and a crumbly topping that bakes golden and crisp.

They are easy to pack for lunch, bring to a bake sale or set out with coffee, and they bake in about half the time of the full cake.

Ingredients

Streusel

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup finely chopped apple
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts (optional)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Cupcakes

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup orange juice

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons orange juice

Instructions

  1. Get ready. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with 18 paper cups, or grease them well.
  2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, apple, nuts if using, flour and cinnamon, then stir in the melted butter until crumbly.
  3. Make the batter. Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture and orange juice in turns, mixing just until smooth.
  4. Layer. Spoon a tablespoon of batter into each cup, add a teaspoon of streusel, then top with more batter so the cups are about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the tops.
    A muffin tin lined with paper cups half filled with pale batter, a spoon adding a little apple cinnamon streusel to each cup, a bowl of streusel beside the tin
  5. Bake. Bake until a toothpick in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the tins 5 minutes, then on a wire rack.
    A muffin tin of freshly baked apple streusel cupcakes with golden crumbly tops just out of the oven, cooling on a rack
  6. Glaze. Stir the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice into a smooth glaze and drizzle it over the cooled cupcakes.

Tips

  • Chop the apple small, about 1/4 inch, so it fits in the layers and bakes tender.
  • Check the first batch at 18 minutes; ovens and pans vary.
  • Use firm baking apples such as Granny Smith, Cortland or McIntosh.
  • Cupcakes keep 2 days at room temperature in a covered container, or freeze them unglazed for up to 2 months.

Questions about this recipe

Can I make these as muffins for breakfast?
Yes. Skip the glaze and bake them in greased muffin tins; they are just as good as a breakfast muffin.
How many cupcakes does this make?
About 18 standard cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the cups.

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