Back to school cupcakes

It's here!  Next week is back to school for the kiddos and I couldn't help myself so I baked apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to celebrate.  I wanted to use fresh apples for this recipe and replace the fat with unsweetened applesauce.   I also put a dash of cinnamon in it to really spice it up.  Let me tell you what...it really smelled like Fall in here today, my favorite season, the best time of the year.  I can hardly wait to get the pumpkins at the patch and build a bonfire in the backyard.   But for now, I'll bask in the back to school fever I've been having (check out my september tree below) and serve these little gems for after school snacks or perhaps pack it in their lunches.   I'll save the pumpkins for October.

First make your fondant apples.  You can purchase white fondant and die in red, brown and green or you can purchase the fondant already colored.  Your local cake supply store or craft store should carry fondant. I purchase it HERE.  If you want to puchase the apples already made you can order them on this fabulously, creative Etsy shop KraftyKakes

Take your red fondant and make a ball.  Take the ball tool found HERE and make an indention at the top of the apple.  Roll a small piece of brown into a sausage shape and stick in the hole with a little fondant green leaf.  Use a leaf cutter and a toothpick or flat tool to make lines for the veins in the leaf. 

I made a big batch of cream cheese frosting that I thought would compliment the apple cupcake and swirled it on top.  But since kids love colorful things I thought adding rainbow sprinkles would be a great finishing touch.   

Happy Back to School!

Our back to school tree

Applesauce Cupcakes

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup apple cider

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup diced or shredded apple ( I used granny smith)

Mix all ingredients together except for the apples and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Fold in apples.

Line your cupcake pans with liners and using your large cookie scoop (or 1/4 cup) add batter.

Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.

remove from pans and let cool on wire wrack.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 room temperature 8 0z block of cream cheese

2 sticks of room temperature unsalted butter

5 cups of confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy.  Add sugar a 1/2 cup at a time.  Beat on high speed after each addition for 1 minute.  Stir in vanilla.  You can add milk if it's too thick or more sugar if it's not sweet enough for you. 

Happy Baking,