Claire's Cupcake Corner

Current Feature: Alana's Apple Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients
Apple Pie Spice Cake

• 3 c. cake flour, sifted
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c. milk

Cinnamon Apple Filling

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 c. salted butter
• 6 to 8 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

Instructions
For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. 
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix til well combined, about 2 min. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add in vanilla and apple cider vinegar. 
4. Alternately add in dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.
6. Bake 20 min (or until golden). Cool completely.

For the filling:

1. Heat butter in a skillet over med heat. Stir in sugar and cinnamon til well combined. Stir til mixture begins to bubble. 
2. Decrease heat to medium and add in apples, stirring well to coat.
3. Continue to cook apples, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 10 min).
4. Remove from heat and let cool. 

For the buttercream:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy (about 2 min).
2. Gradually add in 3-4 c. powdered sugar.
3. Gradually add in up to 1/2 c. cream and additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
4. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a small cone from each cooled cupcake. Fill each hole with a spoonful of apple filling, then ice about two loops around the edges of the filling, leaving some visible from the top.