Back-To-School Apple Cupcakes

There’s just something about back-to-school season that makes me want to bake something sweet and festive. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils… or maybe it’s just a great excuse to make cupcakes. Either way, these adorable apple-themed cupcakes were a hit—and couldn’t have been easier to whip up!

I made these for my sister’s classroom to celebrate the first week back, and they turned out so cute I had to share them here.

What I Used:

    •    Vanilla box mix (sometimes simple is best!)

    •    Homemade buttercream frosting (I used my go-to recipe)

    •    Red gel food coloring

    •    Red sanding sugar

    •    Fondant for the stems and leaves

How I Made Them:

    1.    Bake the cupcakes using a plain vanilla box mix—no need to get fancy here. Let them cool completely before frosting.

    2.    Whip up the frosting and tint it a rich red using gel food coloring. I like gel because it gives that deep color without thinning the frosting too much.

    3.    Frost each cupcake generously, then dip them into red sugar sprinkles to get that shiny, apple-skin effect.

    4.    Top each one with a little fondant stem and leaf. I shaped them by hand (super easy!) and stuck them right into the center of each cupcake.

And that’s it! So simple, but they looked so much like little apples. 🍎

I packed them up and delivered them to my sister’s classroom—and let’s just say, the kids thought they were magic. These would also be perfect for teacher gifts, fall parties, or even a themed lunchbox surprise.

If you try them, tag me—I’d love to see how yours turn out!

Happy baking,

Samantha