Caramel Apple Cupcakes

It's finally fall! You can tell by all the apple recipes floating around too. I have my eye on a couple of them. You know who you are :) I made these today and sent them out the door. They made the whole house smell like I was making caramel apples.

1 bx spice cake mix (plus ingredients to prepare mix)
2 c chopped apples
caramel frosting
chopped nuts (opt)
Preheat oven to 375º and line 24 muffin tins with paper baking cups. Prepared your cake mix according to directions, stir in apples and spoon into lined muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes then remove to cool completely on racks.
Make frosting.

Caramel Frosting
3 tbsp butter
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 3/4 c powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
Melt butter in 2 qt saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, evaporated milk and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, cool to room temp. Add your powdered sugar and beat on medium until frosting is of spreading consistency. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Roll in chopped nuts. I used craft popsicle sticks for my picture but took them out to be able to deliver them. You can put them in when you get there:)