Apple Cider Cupcakes

 

It's official. I have gone cupcake crazy! Mini cupcake crazy to be specific. I, like most people obsessed with baking, have tons and tons of cake recipes that I am just dying to try. Cakes, cheesecakes, cookie cups - you name it! But I am shy about baking all that delectable goodness. Cakes go to waste at my house. Three people just don't want to eat a cake every week... or even every month! Family and fellow employees are always willing to take some off my hands but the transportation is a nightmare! So how will I ever get through all these delicious recipes to weed out the good from the bad? In cupcakes of course!

I know that they take a little more work to bake and decorate each individual cake but in the long run it is a win situation. First of all cupcakes are baked in liners making clean up much more efficient. Second they are already "pre-portioned" to take the leftovers to work the next day (I find most people shy away from cutting a piece of cake but cupcakes are a nice grab and go for people). Not to mention decorating is a lot easier and I can eat a single serving to see if I like the recipe or not and then give the rest away. All in all... I totally get the cupcake crazy right now!

This week I tried Apple Cider Cupcakes. This recipe calls for an apple cider spiked spice cake topped with apple cider buttercream frosting. The spice cake is really moist. I would recommend using paper liners instead of foil. I used foil and the cakes were popping out of the liners before I could get them frosted! The frosting was a little tricky as well. The cider does not blend well with the butter until you get some of the sugar in there. Make sure you use all four cups of the confectioners' sugar! I somehow forgot the last cup in mine and my buttercream frosting was a little soupy and impossible to pipe onto the cupcakes. It was still tasty though!

Apple Cider Cupcakes

(recipe from The Cupcake Bible)

1 package (about 18 ounces) spice cake mix

1-1/4 cups apple cider

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, plus additional for garnish

Apple Cider Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 standard (2-1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper baking cups.

(For mini cupcakes: Line 6 dozen mini muffin cups with paper baking cups).

2. Beat cake mix, apple cider, oil and eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer at low speed until blended; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups chopped walnuts. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

(For mini cupcakes: Bake 10 minutes and cool in pans for 5 minute before transferring to wire racks).

4. Prepare Apple Cider Frosting; frost cupcakes. Garnish with additional chopped walnuts.

Makes 24 cupcakes or 6 dozen mini cupcakes.

Apple Cider Frosting: Beat 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter and 1/4 cup apple cider in medium bowl with electric mixer at low speed until well blended. Gradually beat in 4 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Makes about 3 cups.

I wanted to make my cupcakes a little more fancy so instead of the walnut garnish, I cut out some maple leaf and acorn nuts out of refrigerated pie crust with some wonderful pie crust cutters that I got for Christmas a few years back (they are from William and Sonoma and I love them!). Brushed them with an egg wash to get that nice gold color and popped them in the over for 13 minutes at 375 F.

And there you have it. Beautiful fall cupcakes made easy! Enjoy the leaf piles and wonderful weather now - winter is fast approaching and holiday baking is soon to commence!