Apple Pie Cupcakes

Autumn is my favorite time to bake – second only to Christmas, of course. Fall baking is indulgent and sweet and almost always includes a heavy dose of cinnamon. Plus, they always seem to take advantage of some of the delicious things so prevalent during the season: apples and pumpkins. And we know how I feel about pumpkins.

These apple pie cupcakes are perfect if you want that apple pie fix without going through all the trouble of making a pie. Yes, the filling is a little labor-intensive, but whipping up a batch of cupcakes is nothing compared to a well-made pie crust.

Essentially, these are vanilla cupcakes with apple pie filling in the center. To fill the cupcakes, I used what’s known as the “cone method”. To do this, take a paring knife and place it about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cupcake and hold it at a 45 degree angle. Cut around the cupcake until you have a cone-shaped cupcake top which can then be removed. I’m sure you could do something yummy with those.

I drizzled a little caramel sauce on these before I frosted them, which was messy, but tasted great.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Baking Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

1. Line two muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
6. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

For the filling:

3-4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1. Heat butter in a large skillet until melted.
2. Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar and cook until mixture starts to bubble, about 1 minute.
3. Add apple pieces and stir until coated with cinnamon mixture. Cook on medium heat until apple pieces are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Allow to cool completely before filling cupcakes.

I used Magnolia’s vanilla buttercream to frost these. Note that this will make more frosting that you need.

For the frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes after each), until the icing is thick enough to be of good consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
3. Store at room temperature or else icing will set. Can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.