Apple Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

CUPCAKES:

1 c Granny Smith Apples peeled-and grated
1 tb Cognac or Brandy
1 1/4 c Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 c Sugar
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 ts Salt
1 t Ground Cinnamon
1/8 ts Ground Nutmeg
1/4 ts Ground Cloves
2 lg Eggs
1/2 c Canola Oil or Corn Oil
1 t Vanilla Extract

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

4 tb Unsalted Butter; soft
3 oz Cream Cheese; softened
1 ts Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 c Powdered Sugar

Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 12 medium muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. Put grated apple in a small bowl and stir in brandy. Put flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed just to combine ingredients. Mix in eggs, oil, 1 ts vanilla, and apple mixture.

Divide batter among 12 muffin tins, about 3 tb batter each. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, about 23-25 minutes. Reverse baking sheets after 12 minutes, front to back, to ensure cupcakes bake evenly. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes in pan. Transfer cupcakes in their paper liners to wire rack to cool completely.

Put butter, cream cheese, and 1 ts vanilla in large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed for about 1 minute until mixture is smooth and butter and cream cheese are thoroughly combined. Decrease speed to low and add powdered sugar in 2 additions. Beat until powdered sugar is incorporated and frosting is smooth. Spread cream cheese frosting over top of each cupcake.