Apple Cheddar Cupcakes With Jalapeno Apple Filling Topped With Vanilla Butter Frosting Recipes

CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with twelve paper baking cups, and a second pan with six baking cups, or grease pans with butter if not using baking cups.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.
• Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly on medium speed, after each addition. It's important to add them one at a time so that they will completely incorporate into the batter and you don't put too much weight on your batter at once. This would collapse all the little air bubbles you created when you creamed the butter and sugar.
• Reduce the speed to low. At this stage, it's always important to mix as slowly and as little as necessary since you don't want to traumatize your batter. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one third of the hot water, beating until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by one third of the hot water. It's important to add the flour and water little by little like this, so that your batter does not have too much weight thrown on it and that you allow each amount of flour and water to completely mix into the batter. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining hot water, and beat just until combined.
• Using a spatula, fold the grated apple into the batter. Take care not to overmix the batter. If you overmix the batter, the cupcakes will not be light and fluffy but instead very dense.
• Use a standard-size ice-cream scoop to fill each baking cup with batter, so the cups are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. After 5 minutes, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely for approximately 20 minutes. It's always best to cool the cupcakes at room temperature. Putting them in the refrigerator to cool can dry out the cake.
• Vanilla cream-cheese frosting:
• Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until well combined. Be sure to beat on high speed at the very end for at least 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.
• Caramel:
• Pour the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Heat on medium-high heat and stir constantly until the sugar completely liquefies. Stir constantly and be careful not to burn the sugar. After all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and vanilla extract to the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Once the butter has melted and the butter and sugar are completely mixed, remove from heat and, using a whisk, slowly whisk in the heavy cream until you reach a beautiful golden brown caramel color. Set aside and let cool and thicken for 5 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to thicken further before you use to fill or decorate.

APPLE PIE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper cups or grease with butter.
• Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
• Beat sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add melted butter to the mixture. Add the flour mixture gradually, beating until combined. Fold in apples. Pour batter into the mini muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert cupcakes carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool completely, at least 15 minutes, while making the icing.
• Beat butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg, beating until well blended. Spread icing over the cupcakes.

VANILLA FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer and a bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.)
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the milk mixture in 3 batches, waiting for each batch to be fully incorporated before adding the next (scrape the bowl down occasionally). Raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy. Use as desired. May be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days.

APPLE PIE STUFFED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups, or spray muffin cups with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix cake mix, water, oil and eggs until smooth. Fill cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cupcakes are set and bounce back when gently touched. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Use small round cutter or wide end of decorating tip to cut out center of each cupcake. Fill centers with apple pie filling.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Spoon on tops of cupcakes, or fill decorating bag fitted with star tip, and create decorative swirls.
• Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve. Drizzle with caramel topping, and sprinkle with walnuts just before serving.