Apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

We're in a cupcake phase with the three year old.  He doesn't actually eat much of the cupcakes, but he loves the idea of cupcakes.  Particularly using the pastry bag and adding sprinkles to things.  We're also in the height of apple season here in central Maryland, to the extent central Maryland has an apple season.  We do have lovely farms and orchards where the kids and I can go pick apples (and raspberries and broccoli and herbs and flowers and pumpkins) and enjoy bucolic west county for a morning.  Unfortunately, we decided to go apple picking before a play date lunch with ChaseKBH's current crush (I'm not actually sure if the crush is on the 2.5 year old or the 2.5 year old's mother, but while ChaseKBH primarily plays with the just-5 year old, he spends the next couple days talking about the females in that household).  Alas, alack, ChaseKBH tripped over his two feet running in a field trying to cut flowers, resulting in a bloody nose.  He had to be contented giving his fair lady a small decorative pumpkin and a chocolate lollipop.  

Of course, ChaseKBH isn't contented with simply pursing the preschool set.  He's also in love with our next door neighbor - a wonderful lady who is about three decades too old for him.  But he's determined to win her over with baked goods.  She's still at work, but I have dutifully texted her and we're going over tomorrow morning with cupcakes.  In the interim, we're snacking on the excess.

This recipe is a bit difficult on volume - it could be 12 cupcakes, it could be 18, it depends entirely on how much volume the apple takes up.  Do yourself a favor and be sure to only full 2/3 of the way up the cupcake liners.  If you fail, as I did, tear or cut off the excess and consider it your cook's bonus.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Pumpkin pie spice OR cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg to taste 

1 1/2 cup sugar 

1/3 cup vegetable oil 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped finely

Cream cheese icing

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

1 pound powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together flour, soda, powder, salt, and spices.  I think this is great with a huge amount of ginger, but really you need to know your audience.  It's pretty hard to ruin with too much spice, and its fine with no spice (if boring), so use your judgment.

Beat sugar, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla on medium speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Add sifted flour mixture into wet mixture.  Beat until well combined.

Fold in apples.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons milk.  Beat 2 minutes.  Add milk until desired consistency is reached.

I frost these with a pastry bag because I suck at frosting things.