The Porter house is:

• Jli and all the wonderful things that the very name entails
• A warmly lit front door with a Tomblesaurus leaning out with a welcoming grin and a giant wave
• Tacos
• Romping around and jumping on the most comfortable bed
• Sofa-side girl chats under blankets

In many ways, the Porter house is a hub of warmth and comfort. So when I set my mind on developing a recipe just for the lovelies at the Porter house, I knew I wanted something to capture the feeling of comfort I felt when I was there. It took some experimentation, but I think this is it: a moist pumpkin cupcake scented with cinnamon and a kick of nutmeg with a hidden sweet and tart apple pie filling in the center that surprises you mid-bite.

Jli, Tomblesaurus, Abdelsamad, Abaclig, and Mr. CIA, this one’s for you!

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Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes a.k.a. “The Porter House”
Makes 19 cupcakes (18 cupcakes for guests + 1 for the baker, of course)

Pre-work:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Bring the eggs for the cupcakes  to room temperature and lightly beat them
• Bring the melted butter for the cupcakes to room temperature
• Set out the cream cheese and butter for the frosting to soften
• If you are using cupcake liners, line your muffin tin with the liners. If not, lightly grease your muffin tin.

Prepare the apple filling first:

• 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
• 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Soak the diced apples in a bowl of water with the tablespoon of lemon juice.
2. Then combine the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, grapefruit zest, and vinegar in a bowl.
3. Mix the apples into the apple filling seasoning mixture.
4. Lightly sautee the apples with the butter until fork tender. Set aside.

Now prepare the cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg intended for the cupcakes in a medium bowl
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar butter, and eggs until smooth
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet as you continue to whisk until smooth
4. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk it in until combined
5. Fill the muffin tins 1/4 of the way with the pumpkin cupcake batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of the apple filling in the center of the batter. Pour the pumpkin cupcake batter over the filling until the muffin tins are about halfway full.
6. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when you gently push on them with your fingertips.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting as you wait:

• 1.5 packages cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1.5 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Cream together the cream cheese frosting and butter until smooth
2. Mix in the vanilla
3. Gradually add the granulated sugar
4. Pipe or smear onto the cupcakes once cooled

*I opted to top the cupcakes with a sprinkling of candied walnuts instead of a cream cheese frosting, but for those not worried about such a silly thing as calories, I would highly suggest topping these off with a swirl of cream cheese frosting, as it would be a lovely complement to the cupcakes.