Combining two of my favorites: apple pie and cupcakes, what could be better? These are a great fall to winter recipe that is sure to impress your family and friends. I made these for Thanksgiving, work friends, and for a special Christmas order.
There are many steps to this recipe, but they are all very straight forward if you've made cupcakes before. Just make sure you read through all of the directions before attempting. The pie cut-outs are optional and just add to the overall presentation.
Quantity: 12-15 cupcakes
Ingredients (Apple Filling):
3 tbsp sugar
3 medium apples, cored, peeled, diced small (or tiny if you're making minis)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp flour
Ingredients (Cupcake):
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
Ingredients (Maple Buttercream):
1/2 cup butter, room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1-2 tbsp milk
1.5x this recipe if you're doing a high frosting.
Ingredients (Pie Topping - Optional):
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup Crisco
3-4 tbsp COLD water
Directions:
1. Apple Filling: Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, then add diced apples and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and liquid is bubbling. Add the flour and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
2. Cupcakes: preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Or, if you're making minis, this recipe makes about 48. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat sugar and eggs until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. With the beater on, gradually pour in the butter, then vanilla. Next, add half your flour mixture, then milk, then the remaining flour. Beat well after each addition. Divide batter among cups (you'll want to fill less than 2/3 full in order to leave room for your apple filling; you might be able to make 14 regular cupcakes), and top each with a scoop of apple filling. Bake regular cupcakes for 20-23 minutes and the minis for 12-15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting. Cupcake recipe courtesy of i am baker. She also includes a video tutorial if you're interested.
3. Maple Buttercream: beat butter on high for at least 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary, until it is light, fluffy, and very pale. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating between additions. Pour in the maple syrup and beat well. If the buttercream is too stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Pipe the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes. If doing a high frosting, you may want to 1.5x the recipe. Maple buttercream recipe courtesy of What Charlotte Baked.
4. Pie Topping (Optional): if adding the pie topping, make the pie dough by combining flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add Crisco and blend with a pie cutter or two knives cutting away from each other until small pebble-like balls for. Add 3 tbsp COLD water and mix with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add 1 more tbsp of water. If it's too wet, gradually add flour. Roll out dough to about 1/4" thick and cut out desired shape (I use pie cutters). For added flavor, you can brush each cut out with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350 until golden.