APPLE CINNAMON CUPCAKES 

Ingredients:

A) For the cupcake:

6 red apples 
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon brown sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
1 large egg
9 caramel candies, cut in half (optional)


B) For the Classic Caramel Sauce:

1 ½ cups caster sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 ½ cups heavy cream


C) For the Caramel Buttercream:

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ pounds icing sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup classic caramel sauce


Method:

- Preheat oven to 170 Celsius. Line muffin pans/ baking tray with paper cups.
- To make the applesauce, peel and cut 5 apples. Then place in a medium saucepan with apple cider vinegar, ground cinnamon and dark brown sugar. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Uncover and mash with a fork; set aside. Yield 1 ½ cups.
- Peel and dice the remaining apple into small cubes; set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds. Mix in cubed apple pieces.
- Pour batter among muffin liners and smooth the tops. Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 


For classic caramel sauce:

- In a medium saucepan with high sides, combine the sugar and corn syrup with ½ cup water. Stir the mixture gently.Turn the heat to medium-high and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high, stop stirring, and allow the mixture to boil. Once it begins to turn a rich caramel color, remove it from the heat, add the butter and cream, and stir until combined. 


For caramel buttercream frosting: 

- Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low and add the icing sugar and salt and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then mix in 1/4 cup classic caramel sauce. 
-Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes, then drizzle on remaining caramel sauce with a fork.Top with caramel candies.

by Lya Uzir Creative Living