As the weather finally starts to offer breezy evenings and cooler mornings, giving us a much needed break from our Texas summer broil, the much welcomed smell of apple harvests entices our cravings for everything fall to come out to play! Though the start of our Texas autumns never call for sweaters, it does awaken our need to visit pumpkin patches, pick apples and the craving for spicy, sweet treats that do more than just satisfy our sweet tooth, they conjure cozy, fun memories of fall. So, kick up a few leaves with our incredibly delicious Mesquite Apple Cider Cupcakes.

 

Mesquite Apple Cider Cupcakes

Makes 12-14 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup mesquite bean flour

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup apple cider

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoons mesquite bean flour and save 1 tablespoon to sprinkle for topping.

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a large bowl whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, olive oil, and vanilla.
3. Whisk 3 eggs one at a time until well blended.
4. Add baking soda, cinnamon, half the mesquite bean flour, and half of all purpose flour and half of the apple cider and whisk together. Then add remaining mesquite bean flour, all purpose flour and the rest of the apple cider until well blended.
5. Add paper cups to muffin tin and fill batter to ¾ full. Place in oven for 18-20 minutes until center bounces back when lightly pressed with finger. Set aside to cool.
6. For the cream cheese frosting in a large bowl mix cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then add powdered sugar, cinnamon, apple cider, 3 tablespoons of mesquite bean flour and vanilla until well combined.
7. Add frosting to a Ziploc bag or piping bag and frost cupcakes then decorate by sprinkling with 1 tablespoon of mesquite bean flour.