First of all, thank you to all my friends and family for your suggestions on what substrate to use as a carrier for the maple cream-cheese buttercream I could not resist. (There is a nerdish play on words in that sentence. In semiconductor fabrication, a resist is a thin layer used to transfer a circuit pattern to the semiconductor substrate which it is deposited upon. Sorry. Plus that explanation ends with a preposition, which is acceptable in modern English although it still annoys me.)

Most of the QC Cadre cast their votes within minutes of delivery of their sample and universally they loved them, (I did too!)

I hollowed out a cone from the center of each cupcake so I could fit extra apple pie filling. I piped the buttercream frosting to cover any exposed cupcake and all the filling. I then sprinkled a little allspice to add some color and counter the sweetness of the maple syrup.

Apple Pie Cupcakes with Maple Cream-cheese Buttercream

INGREDIENTS
For the Apple Pie Filling
• 2 apples (prefer granny smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp water, divided
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ Tbsp cornstarch
For the Cupcakes – makes twelve 78g cupcakes
• 1 ⅔ cups (220g) cake flour
• ½ c (124g) granulated sugar
• ½ c (127g) light brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ c (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ c (114g) whole milk at room temperature
• ½ c (112g) sour cream at room temperature
For the Buttercream
• 250 g (2 ¼ c) butter unsalted
• 62 g (½ c) cream cheese
• 198 g (7oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 107 g (5 ½ Tbl) pure maple syrup

METHOD
For the Apple Pie Filling

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in apples, sugar, 1 Tbsp water, and cinnamon.
2. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes or until very slightly softened.
3. In a small dish combine cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Add the mixture to the pan while stirring and continue to cook over medium heat until apples are tender, and mixture has thickened.
4. Remove from heat, pour into an airtight container, and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before adding to cupcakes.
   For the Cupcakes
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
6. Mix together cake flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
7. Beat in butter, whisking until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
8. Beat in the milk and sour cream, mixing just until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds more on medium speed. Divide the batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3-full (you should get 14 to 15 cupcakes out of this batter).
9. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
10. Cool cupcakes in pans 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
    For the Cream Cheese Buttercream
11. Start with the butter in a mixing bowl. It should be soft enough to mix but still cool to the touch.
12. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
13. Add the cream cheese to the bowl and continue mixing for another minute until it’s thoroughly combined with the butter.
14. Add the chilled sweetened condensed milk and mixing for about a minute, ensuring it blends smoothly into the mixture.
15. Should the mixture start to curdle, simply keep mixing. It will eventually blend into a smooth texture.
16. Finally, pour in the maple syrup and mix for one more minute to fully incorporate.
17. Store the buttercream in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to two months. When ready to use, allow it to reach room temperature and mix well to regain smoothness.
    Assembly
18. Cool cupcakes completely before filling with apple pie filling, then frosting with maple cream-cheese buttercream frosting. Dust with nutmeg or cinnamon or …