This cupcake recipe combines all the flavors of fall and the holidays into one scrumptious cake.  A good friend sent me the link to this recipe, and I just had to try it.  A cupcake baked inside a cupcake was just so novel!  So, adapted from the Cupcake Projects recipe, we have apple cupcakes frosted with brown sugar icing, inside of pumpkin rum cupcakes frosted with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.  Is your mouth watering yet?

Apple Cupcake Recipe

I ended up with 36 mini cupcakes.  You could easily cut this recipe in half and it would be plenty for the project.

1-1/2 Cups Flour

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 Cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 Cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

2-1/2 Cups apples diced finely, I used a variety of Granny Smith and Gala apples

1.) Place butter in bowl of stand mixer.  Beat at medium speed until light.

2.) While the butter is mixing measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ginger.  Combine in a small bowl.

3.)  Gradually add the sugars to the butter with the mixer turned to low.  Once the sugar is added turn speed back up to medium and beat for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.

4.)  Add eggs, sour cream, and lemon extract and continue beating until well combined

5.) Turn mixer to low speed and add flour mixture

6.) Add chopped apples.  Mix until evenly distributed.

7.) Spray mini-cupcake pan with cooking spray or use mini liners.

8.) Fill cups about 2/3 full.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Next you will frost the cooled cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe

I really like this frosting!  I know I’m going to find more ways to use this!  Soooo good!

1 stick of butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup milk

2 Cups sifted icing sugar

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan
2. Add the brown sugar
3. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium low and boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
4. Add the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly
5. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm.
6. Add the sifted icing sugar.
7. Beat until well combined.  If it is thicker than you like for spreading you can add hot water a tablespoon at a time.

Once you have the cupcakes baked, frost them and put them on a tray in the freezer while you prepare the next part of the recipe.

Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

1-1/2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cups pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/4 Cup dark rum

1/4 cup maple syrup

1. In a small bowl combine the flour, spices baking soda, and salt
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sugar, pumpkin, and eggs.
3. Mix in the oil, maple syrup, and rum
4. Turn mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture.  Mix until well combined
5. Using a regular sized cupcake tin with liners fill each one half full.
6. Take your frozen frosted Apple cupcakes and insert one into each cup.  This should bring the level of the pumpkin batter up to about 3/4 full.  If you used liners for the mini-cupcakes you will need to remove them before inserting them into the batter.
7. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

Once baked the Brown Sugar Frosting will have been transformed to so that it has a creme brulee effect.  Once the cupcakes have cooled you will frost them with the Cinnamon Cream cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

8 ounces of Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/4 Cup butter (1/2 stick), room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 Cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Put Cream Cheese and Butter in the bowl of your stand mixer and combine at medium speed.
2. Add vanilla and cinnamon
3. Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add the icing sugar.  Mix until well combined.

Frost the cooled cupcakes.  For an added festive touch you decorate them with chopped walnuts or pecans. Or, top with a cherry, pomegranate seeds, or dried cranberries.

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