Apple, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cupcakes

 Isn't my cupcake stand FREAKIN adorable! My wonderful friend gave it to me as a "not housewarming gift".  I specifically asked for no housewarming gifts because my house is plenty warm.  We had very generous wedding guests who requested I add more stuff to my registry and I still ended up with extras!  Anyway, she said she saw this at TJ Maxx and instantly thought of me and my cupcakes.  Every time she comes over I bake her something.  Last week I made the promised oreo cookie cupcakes for her and they quickly disappeared off the stand.  Tho of my loves in one little paper liner...

Anyway, I digress, I decided to make an apple based cupcake for the family open house party I'm hosting today.  Earlier this week I made another batch of apple butter chutney to give out as party favors.  I figured apple butter would be a perfect butter substitute in a cupcake recipe and a good way to add apple flavor without adding apple chunks.I have tried substituting regular unsweetened apple sauce in cookies and banana bread before with mixed results. You couldn't really tell in banana bread but my oatmeal raisin cookies came out a strange chewy texture my husband didn't care for.

I adapted a cinnamon and brown sugar cupcake recipe which you can find at the bottom of this post.  I doubled the original recipe and substituted apple butter for 1/2 of the called for butter.  This way it has some buttery fatty goodness and not all healthy...i believe desserts should have at least a little sin to be delicious!

As you can see, these cupcakes don't rise much and have little bubble holes on top...still delicious though!

Apple, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cupcakes
(Makes 20-24 cupcakes)
Ingredients

3 cups cake flour, sifted and then measured
1/2 cup of butter softened
1/2 cup of apple butter chutney
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp.  ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I n a medium sized bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside .

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beet the butter, apple butter chutney, cinnamon & sugar till light and fluffy.  Mixing well between each addition add the eggs and vanilla one at a time.

Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with two additions of milk.  Beat after each addition just enough to combine ingredients & do not over mix.

After all the additions, beat for just one minute.

Divide batter equally among 24 paper lined cupcake tins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out and let cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Cupcakes
(Makes 10-12 cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted and then measured
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sale
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk, room temperature


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I n a medium sized bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside .

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beet the butter, cinnamon & sugar till light and fluffy.  Mixing well between each addition add the eggs and vanilla one at a time.

Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with two additions of milk.  Beat after each addition just enough to combine ingredients & do not over mix.

After all the additions, beat for just one minute.

Divide batter equally among 24 paper lined cupcake tins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out and let cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.