Apple Pie Cupcakes

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I made these cupcakes as requested for my boyfriends birthday. Let me tell you, they taste like an apple pie in cupcake form. They were super moist, sweet and all around delicious. I filled them with homemade caramel sauce and topped them with a brown sugar and cinnamon buttercream. Seriously SO good! 

For the Cake: 
Adapted from Food Network.

• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 apples, cored, peeled, and chopped (I used Red Delicious)
• 1.5 cups unsweetened apple sauce 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular size cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until blended. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low until blended. Mix in apple sauce until blended. Stir in the apples.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched with your finger, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

The filling:
From Barefeet in the Kitchen 

1 cup sugar
1/4 water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of kosher salt

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir to combine and then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; about 4-5 minutes. There is no need to stir, simply swirl the pan over the burner occasionally as the sugar dissolves.

Raise the heat to medium high and cook the sauce, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is amber colored; about 7-8 minutes. Add the butter, be prepared for it to bubble and sputter, lightly stir or swirl to melt, do not scrape the sides of the pan or splash sauce up the sides of the pan. (This will cause crystallization, if you scrape the uncooked sugars back into the sauce.)

Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the vanilla and heavy cream. It will bubble again, but will calm quickly. Stir to combine (again, not scraping sides of the pan) and then let cool. 

Use a small knife to cut a cone into the cupcake. Fill with a few teaspoons of caramel sauce. Replace removed cake. 

The Frosting:
1 cup butter
1/2 brown sugar
2 tbs cinnamon
3-5 cups icing sugar
2 tsp cream

Using mixer beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add icing sugar until desired consistency/ sweetness is reached. Finish by beating in 2 tsp of cream.

The apple pieces in the cupcake kept in nice and moist and gave it a great texture. I really enjoyed the air whipped texture of this frosting as well. This is something I will for sure be making again. Nothing quite like fall in cupcake form.  I think they would be perfect for Thanksgiving this weekend! 

What is your favourite fall treat?
Jaclyn