Apple Pie Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream

The title on this post alone truly speaks for itself. What could be better than apple pie? Apple pie in a cupcake, with a nutella buttercream of course. This Sunday afternoon us Gourmet Pantry ladies went for a lovely stroll through Brooklyn, NY. A pit stop at the farmer's market & a hot cup of apple cider later, the idea for this cupcake was born. Tip: when baking with apples this fall season, use more firm, tart apples. They bake better & stand up to all that heat in the kitchen. We used Red Delicious- but you can easily substitute Granny Smith or MacIntosh. Check 'em out:

Apple Pie cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream:

Caramelized Apples:

2 red delicious apples

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

ginger & pumpkin spice –  to taste

Cupcake batter:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

8 oz vanilla greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Frosting:

1 stick butter

10 oz nutella hazelnut frosting (not quite an entire 12.3 oz jar)

1/3 cup milk

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

Begin by preheating your oven to 375F, and lining your cupcake tins. Next, we must caramelize the apples! Cube up two apples (skins removed) in a pan with the melted butter. Add the brown sugar & spices and sauté on medium heat or until lightly browned. Make sure to leave them slightly crunchy in texture, as they will continue to cook in the cupcake batter. Remove from heat and let cool thoroughly as you create your batter.

In your mixer, cream the butter & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until mixed. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter with the vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined. Lastly, add the Greek yogurt and whip for 30 seconds or until a nice thick dough is formed. Add the cooled apples and mix with a spoon just to combine- beating them will only mash them up! We want these yummy chunks of apple to stand out in our cakes! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Cool completely as you whip up the nutella-goodness-buttercream.

For the buttercream: whip the butter & nutella together for 1-2 minutes. Whip it good! Add the milk, whip another 30 seconds, then add the sugar and whip some more. It will be light, airy, and amazing.

Frost & ENJOY!