Apple Butter Cupcakes & Frosting

I've had a jar of apple butter that I canned late last Fall sitting on my counter waiting for a home and I found the perfect one for it.  These have just the right amount of apple and cinnamon flavor and it carries on into the frosting.  If you do not have cake flour on hand (I was surprised that I did) you can substitute in 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour sifted together with 1/4 cup corn starch.  Sift them together a few times to make sure the corn starch is spread evenly throughout the flour.  

Apple Butter Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup apple butter
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup milk

Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs, vanilla and apple butter.  Stir in baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Alternate adding in the cake flour and milk.

Scoop and fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake at 325° for 20 minutes.  Let cool completely before icing.


Apple Butter Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp apple butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese, butter, apple butter and vanilla.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar.

Makes 24 cupcakes