Guest Post: Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Hi guys!  I am taking the week off from blogging.  Today's post is a recipe created by a friend of mine who is an actual pastry chef!  His name is Curtis Hall, and I have pretty much known him forever.  He has a degree in "Baking and Pastry Arts", so I thought....who would be more qualified then him?  Nobody I know;)
He gave me a recipe for Caramel Apple Cupcakes using Gourmet Rooster Whiskey Apple spread.  It sounded so good that I knew I had to make it too.  So the pictures are mine, but the recipe is all him.  Hope you like 'em!

This recipe uses brown sugar, vegetable oil, an egg, flour, Whiskey Apple spread, baking soda, water and salt.  The great thing about this recipe is you don't even have to get your hand mixer out....it is all done with a whisk.

You start by whisking together the brown sugar and egg. 

Once that is smooth, whisk in the oil.

Then comes the water and Whiskey Apple spread.  I also added some vanilla extract because I add it to pretty much anything I bake.  Your choice.

After the wet ingredients are mixed, fold in the flour, baking soda and salt with a spatula.  Once that is all mixed, it is ready for the cupcake liners.  These cupcakes cook at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Once the cupcakes cool, they are ready to be frosted, and let me tell you.....the frosting is the best part!

With a hand mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Once it is the consistency of frosting, drizzle in some warm caramel sauce and keep mixing.

Are you kidding me???  These are so good!  They are sweet, a bit spicy from the cinnamon in the spread, moist and totally delicious.  Nice work, Curt:)

Whiskey Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 - egg
1 c - brown sugar
1/2 c - vegetable oil
1 c - Gourmet Rooster Whiskey Apple Spread
1/2 c - water
2 c - all purpose flour
1 tsp - baking soda
1/2 tsp - salt

Procedures:
- whisk EGG and BROWN SUGAR together until combined
- drizzle in OIL while mixing
- add the APPLE SPREAD and WATER
- when everything is well combined fold in the FLOUR, BAKING SODA and SALT with a silicone spatula
- fill cupcake pans 2/3 - 3/4 full
- BAKE @ 375 for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean

FROSTING
Ingredients:
4 oz - cream cheese (soft)
4 oz (1 stick) - butter (soft)
2 c - powdered sugar
Smucker's Hot Caramel Sundae Topping
 

Procedures:
- heat HOT CARAMEL as instructed on the jar
- with an electric mixer, mix together CREAM CHEESE and POWDERED SUGAR until smooth with no lumps
- slowly add the BUTTER
- once everything is combined, drizzle in the HOT CARAMEL to taste (I used about 1/3 of the jar)