I couldn’t wait to try out my own version of these Spiked Apple Cider Cupcakes when I came across the recipe at Raspberry Eggplant. The original recipe only yielded ten cupcakes though, so I definitely needed to change that for The Delawder Matthews Historic Herndon Halloween Party. Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for any party; no one ever wants to be the first person to cut into a cake, but they don’t feel guilty about grabbing a cupcake. The added bonus is that any leftovers are easy to cart to work to be enjoyed by co-workers. I cheated this year by using plastic Spider Rings as a decoration, but I made up for it by creating my own cupcake toppers printed from Sweet Rose Studio. I absolutely adore how these fall-inspired cupcakes turned out, and even though I am not a huge frosting/icing fan, I actually think this one tastes pretty amazing. I can see me using this again, either as a cookie or a whoopie pie filling. While frosting the cupcakes, I also got to play around with a new kitchen gadget, which I have been wanting to purchase for some years now. I own several small icing tips, but had never gotten around to purchasing any larger ones. Last week, on one of my many trips to Michael’s, I finally purchased a Large Cake Decorating Tip Coupler and three large tips, including a 1M Swirl, which is perfect for decorating cupcakes. So far, I think I’m completely head-over-heels in love with them. I’m not sure why I waited so long to finally get them, but I’m certainly glad that I finally did.
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
- 14 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Cups Apple Cider
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl, on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Add egg, mix for 30 seconds.
- Add vanilla, mix for 15 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- On low speed, add the flour in 3 batches and the cider in 2 batches; alternating between the two and starting and ending with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the lined cupcake tins; fill the cups about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Ingredients:
Frosting:
- 1 (8-oz.) Package Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Browned and Cooled ***How to Brown Butter***
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 3 Teaspoons Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 5 Cups Powdered Sugar
Directions:
- On medium speed, mix the cream cheese and butter together for 2 minutes.
- Add vanilla and rum, mix for 1 minute.
- Add cinnamon and salt, mix for 1 minute.
- On low speed, slowly add powdered sugar, mix for 2 minutes.
- Place frosting into a Ziploc or piping bag, and frost the cooled cupcakes.
Suggestions:
- Brown the butter before you start making the cupcakes, so that it will have plenty of time to cool.
- Use a Ziploc or piping bag with an Open Star Decorating Tip to frost your cupcakes.
- If you have any leftover frosting, use it to fill thumbprint cookies.
Improvements:
- Add some grated orange zest to either the cupcake batter, or the frosting.
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans to the cupcake batter.
- Add one or two apples to the cupcake batter, finely diced. Make sure to use a firm cooking apple, such as a Granny Smith or Fuji.
- Try experimenting with different liquors in the frosting, such as Grand Marnier, Goldschlager, Whiskey, or Amaretto.
CUPCAKE RECIPE ADAPTED FROM: Spiked Apple Cider Cupcakes by Raspberry Eggplant SPIKED BROWN BUTTER FROSTING: Original Recipe by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
-Colleen
