Apple Cupcakes

Last weekend, we decided that we were going to spend the entire weekend being lazies.  We hang out in our jammies all day and watch movies (I think that we have seen Cars a million times).  We take a big family nap and sometimes we make whatever the kids want to make.  On this particular day, Ava and Will were leafing through my Martha Stewart Cupcake book and oohing and ahhing over the beautiful pictures.  I told them that they could pick any cupcake that they wanted and that we would make it.  This is what they picked.  How cute are they?

This cupcake recipe is really easy to make and a really good recipe to make with children.  We had everything that we needed to make them in the house.  (We didn’t even have to take off our pjs.)  And aren’t they healthy since they have applesauce in them?  Sure, why not?

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Cream together both sugars with the butter until light and fluffy.  (I totally made a mistake and only used 1 stick of butter.  The recipe was great, but would have been even better with that extra stick.  Oops.)

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

I cannot stress enough what a difference freshly grated nutmeg makes.

Add the eggs one at a time.  Look very serious while your sister is adding the eggs.  Serious = adorable.

Add the applesauce.

Mix it all together.

Add in the dry ingredients.  Fold in the nuts by hand.  Put the cupcake batter into lined muffin tins.  We used red liners to make them look even more like apples.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

For the Brown Sugar Buttercream:

1 stick room temperature cream cheese
1 stick room temperature butter
1 cup brown sugar

To decorate:

red jimmies or red sanding sugar
thin pretzel sticks
green Fruit Roll Ups

Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and beat until combined.

Now that I am thinking about it, a sprinkle of cinnamon in that frosting would have been a really good idea.

Using a sharp knife or a cookie cutter, cut some leaf shapes out of the Fruit Roll Up.

Frost the cupcake with the Brown Sugar Buttercream.

Sprinkle the red sanding sugar generously on the cupcake.  (I think that it works better to dip the cupcake in the sugar, it covers the cupcake better that way.)  Stick the pretzel in for the stem and add a leaf.

These are so adorable and would be perfect for back to school.  Does your class do Apple Week?  ‘Cuz these would be perfect for that too.

And there you have your own little apple orchard.  This was a great way to spend an afternoon with my babies.

What do you like to cook with your kids?  What are your favorite recipes to make with your babies?