Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Apple Cupcakes

These Gluten-Free Apple Cupcakes were a classic recipe from my market stall days. I’ve simplified it a bit over the years as they were originally made with homemade apple butter and I wanted to make it more accessible (as having homemade apple butter can be a bit niche). However, I’ve swapped that for sour cream so you still get the same incredibly moist texture and instead included all the apple butter flavourings baked into these gorgeously soft sponges.

Don’t worry, if you want to bake with your homemade apple butter as I’ve got a recipe for Apple Butter Muffins coming very soon!

These cupcakes look impressive. They are actually incredibly easy, even if there are a few steps including a gorgeous homemade sticky toffee sauce. But I’ll take you through each one with photos and a video to guide you.

Watch the Video

Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Gluten-Free Apple Cupcakes.

Ingredients Needed

Apples. Use your favourite dessert apple for this recipe. I prefer Granny Smiths as I like the tang they give the recipe and they hold their shape very well after caramelising. However, I’ve also tested this recipe with Pink Ladies and they work well, if a bit sweeter.

Lemon juice. You just need a good squeeze of lemon juice to toss the freshly cut apple pieces in to prevent browning whilst you are cutting them all up.

Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well-structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders.This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution tips ideas if you click on the original post for this homemade flour mix.

Do not substitute the flour for another all-purpose gluten-free flour or for a single origin flour. The recipe will not work the same. It is always better to use a trusted flour blend in your vegan/ gluten-free baking as gluten-free flour doesn’t have the same kind of structural support as plain flour. It’s always going to be a trickier bake. My Homemade Flour Blend works so much better than most branded blends as it has a balanced ratio of wholegrain to starchy flours and no xanthan gum is needed to prop it up.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Light Soft Brown Sugar. Using brown sugar adds a gentle molasses flavour and moisture to the batter, enhancing the depth of taste and providing a subtle caramel undertone, contributing to a more flavourful and moist bake.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.

Spice. We are using ground cinnamon and allspice for the gentle warming flavours.

Sour cream. Using sour cream is excellent in gluten-free cakes as it helps the texture and flavour of the cake. It adds moisture and a subtle tang and leads to a soft rich tender crumb. Its acidity also helps activate bicarbonate of soda so the cake rises better with more lightness.

Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Dark Brown sugar. This is for the toffee sauce. However, the sauce works with any brown sugar so you don’t need to buy dark brown sugar just for the sauce, if you wanted to stick to light brown sugar (the same as the cupcakes). If you are using light brown then you might like to add 1-2 more teaspoons of black treacle at the end.

Double cream. This is for your toffee sauce. You can substitute heavy cream or a plant-based alternative.

Black treacle.  The flavour is incredible. If you don’t have it then you can substitute for dark molasses (although the flavour isn’t quite as deep or nuanced).

Icing sugar. (powdered sugar). Icing sugar is preferred over white sugar in buttercream because it dissolves more easily, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture, while also contributing to the desired consistency and sweetness of the buttercream.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

How To Make Sticky Toffee Apple Cupcakes

The following gives a short concise method with step-by-step images. For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Caramelised Apple: Peel, core and dice the apples, tossing them in fresh lemon juice as you go. Melt the butter and sugar then add the apples and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

Apple Cupcakes: Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla.

Whisk together the flour, raising agents, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with the sour cream in two, beginning and ending with the flour.

Fill each cupcake case halfway, add a teaspoon of apple pieces and press gently into the batter. (reserving the rest for decoration). Fill to about ⅔ full. Bake for 20 minutes, cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Sticky Toffee Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low/medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved and smooth, about 3-5 minutes.

Slowly pour in the cream, whisking to combine. Stir in the black treacle until melted. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Toffee Buttercream: Beat the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl for 3-4 minutes until light and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.

Mix in half of the cooled toffee sauce and salt until completely combined and then fill a piping bag.

Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes top with reserved apple pieces and drizzle with toffee sauce.

Make Ahead

There are several components of this recipe you can make ahead of time so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Apples. You can caramelise the apples up to 2 days before you assemble the cupcakes. Allow to cool then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Cakes. You can also make the cakes the day before you make the buttercream. Store in a cool dark place in an airtight container.

Freezing. You might like to freeze the cakes (before frosting). Allow to cool then flash freeze the cakes on a tray in a single layer in the freezer for 4 hours. Then transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container and store for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours (in their airtight container to avoid the cases going soggy) before frosting.

Sticky Toffee Sauce. I recommend making the sauce at least 24 hours ahead of time as you need the sauce cooled and thickened when added to the buttercream. For the finishing drizzle you can re-heat the sauce until just runny. Make sure it’s not too warm otherwise it will melt your frosting.

Finished Cupcakes. You can make the whole cupcake recipe up to 2 days before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator once frosted. Allow to come to room temperature (takes about an hour) before serving.

More Gluten-Free Cupcakes You’ll Love

These Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes are very quick and easy to make. They are perfectly moist, light and fluffy and decorated with my go-to cream cheese buttercream and frosted candied carrots.

These Mince Pie Cupcakes are loaded with fruity spiced mincemeat and piped with velvety brandy spiked swiss meringue buttercream. 

These Homemade Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are made in a classic buttery bakery style. They are fluffy, moist and rich with vanilla. So easy to make all in one bowl and frosted with a quick and easy vanilla buttercream.