Apple Pie Cupcakes-A Delicious Autumn Treat

Every year my Granddaddy sends us three large mason jars of homemade apple butter. It is so very delicious, and we use it on buttery toast and in peanut butter sandwiches. Today I incorporated it into a super yummy Autumn cupcake. I spooned a teaspoon of the apple butter in the middle of each cupcake and then topped them with my cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. For the cupcake, I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, but you could use a boxed mix if that would make life easier :). I bet a spice cake mix would taste incredible.These cupcakes turned out so delicious that my hubby requested that we "not share" them with others :). He declared them one of my best cupcakes ever. No need to worry if you don't have homemade apple butter on hand; feel free to purchase some at the grocery store. I bet these would be amazing with pumpkin butter which I have seen at some of the local gift stores in Fredericksburg, TX.
I hope you enjoy this taste of Autumn my friends. The cupcakes truly taste like mini-apple pies stuffed into a cupcake. Serve some apple cider and share some apple pie cupcakes today with your family or friends after a football game, Autumn hayride, or party. Celebrate God's Bountiful Blessings in your Life!

Psalm 85:12
"Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest."~~~~~~

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cake:1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use Mexican Vanilla)

 

Filling:1/2-3/4 cup apple butter

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 box confectioners powdered sugar (aproximately 4 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside. 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. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 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. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 1/3 full. Place a tablespoon of apple butter in the center of each cupcake and the top with additional batter to cover it.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. To make the icing, mix the cream cheese and butter until incorporated in a large bowl with your mixer. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until icing is incorporated.

Top each cooled cupcake with your cream cheese icing and sprinkle the tops with a dusting of cinnamon/sugar mixture. You could also add chopped toasted pecans to the tops if you would like to make them extra special. Next, take a bite of this delicious Autumn treat that tastes like a mini-Apple Pie.