Let’s take a quick look at the Year So Far in Contempo Cafe Cupcakes, shall we?
Over the past several months, this Contemporary Resort Counter Service spot has brought us a rotating cast of cupcakes including — among many others — the Churro Cupcake, the Cherry Cupcake, the Banana Flip Cupcake, the Watermelon Cupcake, and — most recently — the Turtle Cupcake.
Well, now we’ve got one more to add to the list: the Candy Apple Cupcake.
Actually, make that two… Contempo Cafe currently has a Candy Bar Cupcake along with the Candy Apple Cupcake on offer. You’ll find them in the Cupcake Fridge (one of the self-serve refrigerators was recently dedicated entirely to cupcakes!) along with some of the more regularly available cupcakes like the Dirt & Worms Cupcake and a Frozen-themed Cupcake.
Cupcake Fridge!
They’re all in grab-and-go packaging these days since they’re no longer in the usual bakery case, but they’re still made in-house. They each run about $5.59 and are snack credit eligible on the Disney Dining Plan.
The Candy Apple Cupcake is vanilla cake topped with candy apple flavored buttercream, which is then covered in sugar and finished with a fondant-like leaf and a pretzel stick for the cute details.
Candy Apple Cupcake
But we all know that much of the fun of a Contempo Cupcake is what you can’t see at first glance, and that’s the filling, which is — perhaps you guessed 😉 — candy apple flavored!
Candy Apple Filling
Sound like a little much? Yep, that’s what I thought, too. But upon trying it I discovered that the apple flavor in both the icing and the filling was just the right amount — not too overwhelming at all. What I did find to be a bit much was the sugar covering the icing. Even though it is fun and super sparkly (and it was kind of cool how it also lent the texture of a candied apple), it had the end result of making it uber sweet.
Candy Apple Cupcake icing closeup
Speaking of sweet… I already knew the sugar topping would tip the scales of sweetness a bit. So, I figured… why not tip ‘em even further? The thought was inspired by THIS:
Caramel and Chocolate Sauce Dispensers
YES!!! Did you know that there are Caramel and Chocolate Sauce dispensers at the Contempo condiment bar?! They’re supposed to be for topping your DIY soft-serve ice cream, but why not put them to more use?
Caramel Sauce
With caramel and apple being just about the perfect fall combo, I decided to pour some caramel over the top of my cupcake.
Candy Apple Cupcake topped with Caramel
And It. Was. Awesome.
Plus it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy this treat. Well, October might be even more perfect. And I have some potential good news for you in that regard: the Candy Apple Cupcake is scheduled to be at Contempo Cafe through October 1st. However, a Cast Member shared with me that they think this one might be available throughout most of October, too. Several of the featured cupcakes this year have remained available beyond their originally scheduled end date (for instance, the Turtle Cupcake was only supposed to be around through August, but it was still available on this September visit).
By the way, the Candy Bar Cupcake should be available through November 5th. And look for the arrival of a Pumpkin Cupcake with Cream Cheese filling topped with cinnamon buttercream starting October 2nd! YUM!
Now, while I liked this one, I do wish the cake had been apple spice flavored like this apple spice cupcake over at Sunshine Seasons! This one is back this year (in a green sugar shell) with the same apple spice cake and cream cheese frosting. So…do with that what you will!
Sunshine Seasons Candy Apple Cupcake
Which of the 2016 Contempo Cupcakes is your favorite so far? Please let us know with a comment!
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I should like the new Cupcake Fridge… but for some reason, I already miss the self-serve bakery case. Pre-packaged seems soooooo “gas station convenience store”-like.
I like the cupcakes in their own little protective container, so I like the fridge of their own. It’s good when you want to take some home with you!
I like how you comment on the sugar making the cupcake a little TOO sweet. Then further down the page you mention the drizzle of caramel you added to the cupcake. I’m sure that didn’t make it any sweeter for you 🙂
Great idea with the Candy Apple cupcake with caramel. Brilliant! Looks so good. Even before the fridge you could get ask them to put the cupcake in a container so I for one do miss the bakery.