Tart Granny Smith apple adds brightness to moist vanilla cupcakes that are crowned with cardamon-laced cream cheese frosting. Pictured with our Rosy Apple Tartlets.
Apple Cupcakes with Cardamom–Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
Serves: 24
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 cup whole milk
- 1⁄4 cup finely chopped unpeeled Granny Smith apple
- Cardamon–Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting (recipe follows)
- Garnish: small apple slice pieces soaked in lemon juice (to prevent browning)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line the wells of a 24-well mini muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in egg and then vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in apple. Using a levered 1-tablespoon scoop, drop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling no more than three-fourths full.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Place Cardamon–Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star piping tip (Ateco #827). With piping tip perpendicular to tops of cupcakes, pipe a large frosting star onto each cupcake. Serve immediately, or place in an airtight container, refrigerate, and serve within 2 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
- Just before serving, garnish with apple pieces, if desired.
Cardamon–Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting
Serves: approximately 1 1⁄2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat apple cider to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; let simmer until liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon and coats the back of a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before using.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in sugar, cardamom, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined. Beat in whipping cream and apple cider reduction at high speed until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.
