inspired by The Kitchen Prep Blog

Ingredients
For Cupcakes
1 c sugar
2 T vanilla extract, divided (or scrape 1 vanilla bean)
1 ¾ c cake flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
¼ c unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 c Greek yogurt
¼ c vegetable oil
2/3 c whole milk (also ok to use a lower fat milk or a combo of low-fat milk and cream)

For Pear Butter Filling
½ T apple juice
¾ T lemon juice, divided
1 lb. Bartlett pears (about 2 pears)
1/3 packed light brown sugar
1/8 t nutmeg
Pinch salt

For Frosting
¾ c (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c packed light brown sugar
¼ t cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar
4-6 T milk

Instructions
For Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cupcake tins with liners.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar, 1 T vanilla, and flour through salt from the cupcake ingredients until well blended.
• Beat in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, oil, and remaining Tablespoon of vanilla. Combine into dry ingredients in stand mixer.
• Gradually add milk. Mixture will be very runny, that’s ok!
• Fill each liner half way full. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool.

For Pear Butter Filling

• While cupcakes are baking (or ahead of time), combine apple juice and lemon juice into a saucepan.
• Peel, core, and cut pears into 1-inch pieces. Add to saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until pears release moisture, about 15 minutes.  Stir frequently.  If they aren’t releasing moisture, add water about two Tablespoons at a time to prevent burning.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until pears are tender – about 20 minutes. Again, if pears start sticking to the saucepan or burning add small amounts of water.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Push pear mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
• Return pear sauce to saucepan on low heat.  Add brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to boil until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.  This should take about 15 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature.

For Frosting

• Beat together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well-combined.
• Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until well blended.
• Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Assembly

• If any of your cupcakes have a substantial “mound” on top, cut it off. (This should not happen much if you don’t use too much batter.)
• Cut a hole in the middle of each cupcake. There are many ways to do this.  A paring knife will allow you to make a nice cone in the middle.  I have found that a strawberry huller is perfect for this task, though.  Others use an apple corer.  You do not need to put the “lid” back on the hole, so just snack on them!
• Use a teaspoon to fill the newly-formed hole with pear butter.
• Fill a piping bag with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.