Baseball & Apple Pie Cupcakes

It's no secret I'm a baseball fan.  A long time ago I learned, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em..." and I think possibly I might be a bigger baseball fan than Mr. Devilish Dish.  We go to a lot of baseball games.  We tailgate at baseball games.  We watch a lot of baseball games on tv.  And yes, I'm ashamed to admit we even listen to them on the radio.  When the OU baseball team made it into the post season, we decided to celebrate with friends and have a little cook out during one of their televised games.  Nothing fancy.  Just hot dogs, peanuts and cracker jacks.  Typical baseball food!   But I needed a spiffy dessert to celebrate the occasion.  I had seen some cupcakes decorated like this online using M&M candies.  I decided to use Red Hots, and I knew right then I wanted something to go along with an apple/cinnamon theme.  That's how Baseball & Apple Pie Cupcakes were born.  A yummy cake, with fresh apples, topped with a cream cheese frosting. It's a recipe I created that I'm pretty proud of.  And as much baseball as we enjoy, I'm sure to make them again and again! 

Hot Dogs, Baseball & Apple Pie!!!
(In this case, it's just baseball and apple pie!)

The Starting Line-Up

Beat together eggs, milk, butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Add to egg mixture, until just moistened.

Stir in chopped apples.

Fill muffin pans about 2/3 full.
Bake about 20 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and
powdered sugar together until smooth and fluffy.

Frost each cupcake with frosting and
decorate with Red Hot Candies to create
the seams on a baseball.

You're sure to hit a HOME RUN
with these!!!



Baseball & Apple Pie Cupcakes2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

Frosting1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1 large box Red Hot Candies

Combine frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until fluffy and spreadable. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together eggs, milk, butter and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.  Stir into egg mixture until just moistened.  Stir in apples.  Scoop batter into a muffin pan that has been prepared with cupcake liners.  Fill approximately 2/3 full.  Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.  Cool completely before frosting.  Frost each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting, smoothing as best possible.  Top with Red Hot Candies to represent seams on a baseball.

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 20 minutes