Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners or grease pan.
Combine cider and butter. Stir in sugar. The mixture may look clumpy.
In a large bowl combine applesauce, eggs, and vanilla.
Slowly add the cider mixture. Add flour and baking soda and mix until combined.
Pour into liners and bake 18-22 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pan and move to wire racks to cool completely.
Frosting
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more cider. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Pipe or spread icing on cupcakes once the cupcakes are fully cooled.
Notes
Replace the apple cider with hard cider to spice these up!Drizzle caramel sauce overtop of cupcakes to add another layer of flavor, and sprinkle sea salt on top for a salted caramel flavor.The provided nutrition facts are an approximation.