Apple Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream (The Infamous Apple Bake-Off)

     So let me preface this by admitting that I made this recipe in September. There are several reasons why I haven't posted it until now, the simplest being that my semester got stressful and I lacked either the time or the energy to post. Still, I somehow was able to post other recipes in October, conveniently skipping this one. I just didn't want to bring back the bad memories associated with it. Don't get me wrong, I love this recipe. It tastes wonderful, and under normal circumstances, it's really not difficult to make. However, on that particular September day, my circumstances were more challenging.
      I don't usually consider myself a joiner. For better or for worse, I just don't usually get involved in events that require school spirit. But this year, my housemates decided to enter the homecoming contest, to try and win some kind of spirit stick-like prize. In the beginning, I thought it would be fun. There were various events throughout the week, and to my surprise, the ones I attended actually were fun. So when I, the house "celebrity chef" was elected to take charge of the apple bake-off, I was pretty excited. And then I found out that I needed to make 150 samples.
     I know there are a bunch of people who would not be phased by this challenge. Professional caterers, bakers, and any past contestant on one of the many cupcake-themed reality shows would think this event was a piece of cake (corny pun fully intended.) But this was my first large scale culinary undertaking, and naturally, I made some rookie mistakes. If I had had more time, money, and help, It would have been more fun, but in my attempt at pinch my pennies, I ended up not having enough, and thus stopping in the middle to double the recipe again. But after getting apple peels all over the kitchen, after running through classes in progress in my flour-covered apron and no shoes, and after begging several of my roommates for help (Vielen Dank!), I survived
Note: In order to get 150 samples in the most painless way possible, I didn't make these as cupcakes, but as 3 big sheet cakes. The directions are for regular cupcakes.

 So here's the original recipe, meant to make about 12 cupcakes, depending on the size.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For frosting:
2 sticks of butter, softened and divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
about 5 cups powdered sugar, but you just eyeball that part

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line the cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter into the sugar and brown sugar. Then, whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the remaining dry ingredients for the cake. Then, use a whisk or an electric mixer to slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Peel and chop the apples now. You don't want to do this too early, or they'll start turning brown. Obviously, you won't have this many.

4. Fold the apple pieces into the batter, and evenly fill the cupcake pan.

5. Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes, depending on the size. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

6. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. Make the caramel first by melting 1/2 stick of butter with the brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir it constantly, be patient, and let it come to a rapid boil for about a minute. Then, promptly remove from the heat and let it cool completely to room temperature.
7. In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time into the rest of the butter. After 2 cups of sugar, add the cooled caramel. Then, continue to add powdered sugar until the consistency is right. It's not an exact measurement, and it will be very sweet, but just remember to keep your cake to frosting ratio in check. I, unlike most people, prefer more cake and less frosting, especially for this recipe.
8. I used a pastry bag to frost my little cake squares, so that's what I'll recommend for cupcakes, but the faster, more rustic way works too.

I don't think that those actually added up to 150, but luckily, no one noticed. Because the event turned out to be more of a popularity contest than a culinary showdown, I didn't win, but considering that the competition included groups who I'm pretty sure just microwaved packets of apple instant oatmeal, I wasn't too disappointed. I went home knowing that this cake was the best tasting dessert in that room, and that satisfaction is better than winning.