{Day Two} 12 Days of Cupcakes - Apple Cider Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Apple cider sho' is yummy - and it's yummier when baked into a delicious cupcake!  I found this recipe for Apple Cider Cupcakes over at Coconut & Lime.  It's a moist cupcake and very delicious.  I decided to make my own Cinnamon Buttercream instead of making the caramel frosting suggested with the recipe.

Apple Cider Cupcakes
a la Coconut & Lime

You'll Need:

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temp)
2/3 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs (room temp)
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon*
1/2 Tsp. Salt (I used 1/8 tsp)
1 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Apple Cider

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To Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Cream butter & sugar in a bowl until light & fluffy.

3. Add eggs, one at a time until combined, scraping bowl as necessary.

4. Add baking powder, cinnamon & salt.

5. Add flour and apple cider alternately starting and ending with the flour until combined; scrape bowl between additions.

6. Pour batter into pan and fill 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean.

Cinnamon Buttercream
2 Sticks Butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla
41/2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar - sifted
1 Tbsp. Milk
1 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon

1.   Mix butter on medim speed about 1 minute.

2.  Add vanilla until combined.

3. Gradually add in sugar about 1/2 cup at a time.

4.  Add milk to mixture (depending on how thick or thin you want the frosting use your best judgement - you might want to add more milk.  I prefer a thicker frosting.)

5.  Mix Cinnamon into frosting by hand until well combined.

*I forgot to add the cinnamon to the batter and had to swirl it into each cupcake individually -which actually created a nice marbled effect - still tasted great!