Apple Cider Cupcakes And Vanilla Nutmeg Frosting

So you know how in my post from earlier this week I may have mentioned the fact that I don't fit into any of my pants.....well I'm not helping matters this Sunday. 

When I saw this recipe I just couldn't help myself!!

These cupcakes were originally featured on one of my favorite blogs Eat, Live, Run and because I had just bought some apple cider from Fresh Market, I considered it destiny!!

Now I'm not one to favor things from a box, but cupcakes are usually one of those things that the box mixes have perfected so well that they are hard to resist. I've had way to many experiences where "made from scratch" cupcake recipes take forever and are hard as rocks.

This recipe breaks the mold because they taste delicious, and are so easy to make!!!!

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened 

2/3 cup of sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of flour

2 tsp. of baking powder

3/4 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

1/4 tsp. of ground clove

1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of apple cider

Frosting

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

A pinch of salt

Makes 12 cupcakes....and a whole lot of frosting (if you like your cupcakes heavily frosted, go ahead and make the whole recipe, but halving it would be just enough to cover them all). 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place liners in your cupcake tins and set aside. 

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between as well as vanilla extract.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves into a separate bowl. 

Slowly and gradually mix dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. At this point the batter will look very thick.

With the mixer still on low, drizzle in the apple cider. After this step, it will closely resemble the consistency of a frosty!! Which made me think...if Wendy's had an apple cider flavored frosty, I'd be a happy girl. (If anybody associated with Wendy's reads this...think about it!!)

Fill the baking cups 3/4 of the way full of batter. 

Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes or until they start to brown slightly and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack. 

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting!

Beat the softened butter, vanilla, and nutmeg while very slowly adding the powdered sugar. Continue beating for close to 10 minutes or until fluffy. I know 10 minutes seems like a long time but....it's worth it!!.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, you can either spread or pipe the frosting on. 

I've never been very good at piping frosting, but I tried my best....and I think they turned out just fine!

Some of them I did very uniformly, and some I just went crazy. 

Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon and stuff your face!!