2large, or 3 small crisp apples peeled, cored, and diced (I used Gala apples)
¼cupdark brown sugar
¼teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspoonkosher salt
1 ½teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspooncornstarch
2Tablespoonswhiskey**
Cinnamon Whiskey Buttercream:
1cup2 sticks butter, room temperature
3 ½cupspowdered sugar, sifted
¼teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1-2Tablespoonswhiskey**
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.
The butter will start smelling sweet and brown specks will appear, remove from heat and continue whisking for 30 more seconds. Pour into stand mixer and let cool. Once the butter is cool, add the buttermilk, egg, sugars and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Once the flour is fully incorporated, stir in the hard cider, being careful not to over mix. Scrape the sides and bottom to make sure there aren’t any clumps. Fill each prepared cupcake liner a little more than halfway.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Filling
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and have released their juices. (It will smell delicious!)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whiskey with cornstarch. Then add to the pan with the apples and cook for another 3 minutes, until the liquid thickens. Set aside to cool.
Frosting
Cream the butter for a minute or two. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until creamy.
Add the whiskey, start with one tablespoon and add more until you reach desired consistency (I ended up using 2 tablespoons). Beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and whipped.
Assembly
Core each cupcake with a cupcake corer (if you’re fancy like that) or a melon baller.
Fill the cupcake with apples, then top with buttercream frosting. Garnish with any left over apples and enjoy!
Notes
*I used Angry Orchard hard cider in the cupcakes. Regular cider works too. **I used Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. Again, if you don’t want alcohol in your cupcakes, replace with regular cider.