Ingredients
5 pretzels, broken in half
2 drops of green and red food coloring (use whatever color you like)
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups grated Gala apples (roughly 1 large apple)
1/4 cup milk
1 medium egg, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Step by step
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Using your KitchenAid® Artisan® Mini Stand Mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in color, about 4 minutes.
Beat in the egg on medium high speed until just combined. Lower the speed on the Mini Mixer and mix in the flour and milk until fully incorporated.
Mix in the grated apple, taking care not to overmix the batter as it can toughen the cupcakes.
Spoon the cupcake batter into your lined cupcake pan. The recipe should yield roughly 12 cupcakes.
Bake for roughly 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Set aside to cool completely.
For the frosting: Fit the whisk attachment to the Mini Mixer and beat the softened butter on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add sifted powdered sugar one spoonful at a time until all the sugar has been incorporated. Add milk and mix on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of frosting and add green food coloring to desired color. To the remaining frosting, add red food coloring until it resembles the color of an apple.
Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle and fill the bag with the red buttercream frosting. Decorate the tops of the cupcakes to look like apples. You can use a piping tip with a large V notch to create the leaves and break the pretzels in half to create the stems. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.