CUPCAKES:

1 box (18.25-oz.) white cake mix

1 cup apple juice from frozen concentrate (save 1-1/2 tsp.undiluted for the icing)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

ICING:

1 brick (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 Tbsp. frozen concentrate apple juice, thawed

1 box (16-oz.) confectioners sugar

FOR DECORATION:  Brown, orange, green, red, and yellow gel or paste food colors, marzipan in (7-oz) rolls or 8-oz. cans.  (see note)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  You'll need 24 muffin tins lined with paper foil cups.

CUPCAKES:  Combine cupcake ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat with a mixer on low speed until ingredients are moistened.  Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes, until batter is smooth,

Fill muffin cups with a scant 1/4 cup batter.  Bake for 22 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean.

ICING:  Beat cream cheese and apple juice concentrate with a mixer just until smooth,  Beat in confectioners sugar on low speed to mix, increase speed to medium and beat until well blended, about 1 minute more (icing will be soft).

DECORATE:  Divide frosting into thirds.  Tint each to desired shade with brown, orange, green and yellow food colors.  Spread frosting on cupcakes.  Store in the refrigerator.

APPLES:  Tint pieces of marzipan brown, green and yellow.  Form the green and yellow into apple shapes.  Form brown into apple steams, press into tops of apples.  For red blush on yellow apples, dilute red food color with water.  Apply with a small artist's brush, let dry.

ACORNS:  Tint pieces of marzipan light and dark brown.  Form dark brown marzipan into cap and steam shapes, and light brown into acorns.  Use back of small knife to make cross hatching on caps.

LEAVES:  Work brown, green and yellow food colors into chunks of marzipan.  roll out between sheets of wax paper to 1/8" thickness.  Cut leaf shapes with small cookie cutters.  Use back of small knife to mark leaf veins.

*NOTE:  Gel and paste colors and small leaf cookie cutters are sold at crafts stores.