Apple Pie Cupcakes

Don't let the "apple" part of this recipe fool you; these are not—in any way, shape, or form—healthy. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm gaining weight just by ogling the picture and thinking about eating one again :D  Make these. Your taste buds will thank you.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs

Apple filling:

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

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting :

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• up to 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

 In a medium bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract; mix well to combine. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake until golden; about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven; cool for 5 minutes in pans. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

Apple filling: heat butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add cinnamon and sugar; cook for a minute, until mixture begins to bubble. Lower heat to medium; stir in the apples. Mix well. Cook until apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While apple mixture cools, use cone method to remove a chunk from center of each cupcake, leave a rim around the top of cupcake. Fill holes with cooled apple mixture.

Frosting:

Beat butter in a stand mixer until smooth. Add 4-5 cups confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until sugar disappears. Add more sugar, by 1/2 cups, until desired consistency is reached. (For a stiff buttercream, use close to the max- 7-8 cups). Beat in cinnamon.

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