sugar and spice

apple spice cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting,

topped with cinnamon-sugar dusted apple hearts

Cupcake recipe comes from one of my fave recipe books "Cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski,
the frosting recipe is inspired from the same book,
and the apple hearts were a Sigi-on-the-spot original : )

cupcakes:

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tbsp plus 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter, add apple chunks and 2 tbsp sugar. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Take off heat to cool.

2. In one bowl, wisk together dry ingredients. 

3. In another bowl, beat the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with remaining butter (6 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. 

4. Slowly add dry ingredients mixture to wet ingredients. Mix until combined.

5. Add sour cream and apple chunks. 

6. Bake in 350 F preheated oven, for 18-20 minutes! 

honey cream cheese frosting:

cream cheese, honey, powdered sugar, vanilla

apple hearts: 
slice apples, dip in lemon juice. Using a small cookie cutter, create little hearts! Make sure the apples hang out in the lemon juice until you use them. Before serving, dust cinnamon sugar on top! For a colorful spin, brush on a food color/water mix onto the apple hearts!

These were made for my sister's 24th birthday :)