Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.  Enough said.

 I received an adorable Halloween cupcake kit in the mail from my mom last week (thanks!) and couldn't wait to put it to good use.  As soon as I received the kit I started contemplating what kind of cupcakes to make.

I have been baking with a lot of pumpkin lately so I decided to go with my next favorite Fall flavor, apple!!  The spice in these cupcakes is just the right amount and the frosting is the perfect complement, not too sweet, just right.

These just might be the most perfect Fall cupcake.  

Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: 52cupcakes; originally from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook

Yields 18-20 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  On a low speed, add applesauce and then the flour mixture, beating just until combined.  

Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  Frost with brown sugar cream cheese frosting (see recipe below).

Frosting:

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Directions

In the clean bowl of electric mixer, mix all ingredients on medium speed until smooth.  Spread onto cupcakes once cooled.