Back-to-School Apple Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 box (15.25 oz/432 g) vanilla cake mix
18 pretzel sticks
Icing:
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, softened
3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) Allen’s apple juice
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
Red and green gel food colouring
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Cupcakes: Line 2 muffin tins with 18 paper liners. Place one 1/2-inch (1 cm) round foil ball snugly between each cupcake liner and muffin tin to create divot (to create the shape of apple top).
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Prepare and bake cupcakes as per package instructions
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Icing: In bowl, whisk butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and creamy; beat in icing sugar, apple juice and vanilla until smooth.
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Transfer 1/4 cup (60 mL) icing to separate bowl; stir in green food colouring.
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Stir red food colouring into remaining icing.
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Using piping bag with round tip, pipe red icing around edge of cupcake tops.
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Fill in outline with remaining red icing; smooth top with palette.
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Using separate piping bag with leaf tip, pipe green icing leaf onto each cupcake.
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Stick pretzel into each cupcake divot.
Replace apple juice with milk or water if desired.
