Our yearly apple picking trip hasn’t happened yet, but I’m still craving those fall flavors. So I thought that it would be a good idea to combine all those flavors into one dessert. Honestly, these cupcakes provide a multi0sensory fall experience. They smell like fall while baking, their colors are right in line with fall and their taste is absolutely fall!

I can’t remember if I’ve ever made cupcakes before. My husband really isn’t a fan of traditional cupcakes, so I usually just opt to not make them. However, I do make muffins a lot. For some reason, I figured making muffins and cupcakes really couldn’t be that different a process. Needless to say, I learned a very important lesson.

Apparently when making cupcakes, it is a good idea to both grease AND flour your muffin tins, or to just go ahead and use muffin liners.

Apple Spice Cupcake with Maple-Brown Sugar Frosting

For the cupcakes:

• 1 1/3 c. oil
• 2 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. ginger
• 1/4 t. allspice
• 2 apples, peeled and diced

In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla on high speed for 2 minutes, or by hand for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and allspice until combined. Slowly add to mixing bowl and stir just until combined. Fold in apples. Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. maple syrup

Combine all ingredients and beat until desired frosting consistency.

The kids really loved these. The spice is just right for them – not too spicy, but with plenty of flavor. And my non-cupcake loving husband ate 3!