As American As Apple Pie....Cupcakes

So.....as I was baking my 7th cupcake for the month, with several more to go, I was thinking about how I just can't seem to lose weight....I'll go ponder that, and in the meantime....here is my version of apple pie....as a cupcake.

Inside

Here's the deal....or rather, here's the inspiration....my pals at work, (also known as 'my friends') and I participated in the American Cancer Society's all night Relay for Life this past Friday/Saturday. Every team was asked to come up with a 'birthday party' theme for their campsite (more on the details of this event in a day or two). Since this was also field day at work...and our theme for THAT was 'rodeo,' the gals decided to go with this so we could just drag our decorations over to the Relay in the evening. Each team raises funds before the event, but we also raise money on site to go towards additional cancer research giving. Last year we had a bake sale, and sold glow bracelets. This year, cupcakes sales was the fundraiser of choice for our team!
Cupcakes and Cowboys....sort of like my dream come true, good job, team.
I then went to work trying to decide on a 'cowboyish' cupcake. That was totally unnecessary, unless you are me. I made some cowboy cupcakes awhile back for a Cowboy Baby Shower with little sheriff badges on top, but this time....I decided I wanted something pie-ish....and I got stuck on the idea of making some little 'pie crust cutout' for the top since I knew the base would be best as a cupcake, and I decided on Apple Pie Cupcakes.
I have NO doubt I'm not the first one who has thought of this, but I don't want to know what else is out there b/c knowing sometimes stifles whatever creativity I have going because I get that 'other vision' stuck in my head! I decided to google apple spice cake, and some sort of cinnamon icing, and a little 'real apple' filling.
I took about 17 recipes and combined from allrecipes.com....foodtv...google search...I don't know how to site my source. My source is the internet, does that count? I didn't come up with my own individual recipes, I just adapted ones that looked good and merged them all into the sinful mass of calories that are my cupcakes.
Here goes....(Didn't I already say that? Fine, here I REALLY go...)
CUPCAKES:
Combine 2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 t. soda, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 t. apple pie spice, 1/8 t. nutmeg, 1/8 t. cloves, 1/2 c. butter (at room temperature), 4 eggs, 1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce. Combine and bake at 350 for about 17 minutes. (I filled my cupcake liners really full, so I only got 16 out of this batter, I used a 1/4 c. measuring cup to fill them....I like 'em puffy!). I used silver liners to look more like a pie pan, and these tend to bake really fast for me! In a regular liner, maybe add a minute or two.

Let cool, and then cut a cone shape out of your cupcake. I also cut the 'cone' off the top layer so the top would lay flat on the apple filling. I hollowed a few of the cupcakes out a little to add more filling deeper in the innards.

*I would probably use this same basic cupcake recipe next time, but maybe add something to make these a little more moist...sour cream?...pudding? There was so much other stuff going on, it was still good, just a little more dry than I like my cupcakes...I wasn't disappointed, just critical of the outcome!
FILLING
Heat 2 T butter on med with 2 t. cinnamon, 3 T sugar and let this bubble about 1 minute, and then add 3 large apples (peeled and chopped). Let these cook over med for about ten minutes until the apples are soft.


ICING (My favorite 'taste' part of this recipe.)
Mix 8 oz cream cheese (at room temp), 1 t. cinnamon, 6 c. powdered sugar, 1/2 c. butter (at room temp), 1 t. vanilla.
I took a spoon and just mounded it on top to look a little bit like ice cream. I also sprinkled this with cinnamon sugar....that was unnecessary, but accurate as to the steps I took...additional, unnecessary steps are sort of a hobby of mine.
STAR TOPS
Take one pie crust and cut out small stars. Place these on a cookie sheet. Spray with spray butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and/or sugared sprinkles.
Ready to bake...

Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes (just until browning).

Place on top of cupcakes.

These would be fun to make on July 4th as well, but by then, I should have my mouth wired shut, and I'll be looking for apple pie I can drink through a straw, or a nice apple pie scented lotion....but *you* can make them if you want, they are tasty.
Featured On:



Linking To:
Under the Table and Dreaming
Funky Junk
Keeping it Simple
Between Naps on the Porch
Blessed with Grace
Cupcake Tuesday
Trendy Treehouse
Just a Girl
Sweet Thursday