The Cupcake Challenge: Apple Spice with Almond Praline

And now for another installment of the cupcake challenge. Recently I had a friend give me a big bag of home ground granny smith apples. There's nothing I love better in life than free food, and it makes it even better when you can turn a great free ingredient into something that is delicious. So I needed to find a recipe to use the apples.......good old google was the answer. I found a recipe for an apple tea cake at Recipezaar, I baked it and it was eaten so quickly it didn't even have time to cool down. So I thought it would be fantastic to cook for my next cupcake challenge.

I tweaked the recipe a little so it would translate into the cupcake form. I also frosted it with a butter cream frosting. My original idea was to make an apple toffee cupcake, but somehow that didn't happen, and I ended up making some almond praline and using it as a garnish.

Mmmmmmm, sneaky bites are the best bites

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Apple Spice cupcakes with Butter Cream Frosting and Almond Praline

Makes about 30 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKE

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups , sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups apple, peeled & diced into tiny pieces

2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

VANILLA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

1 cup butter, at room temperature

6-8 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

ALMOND PRALINE

1/2 cup of almonds, lightly toasted

100 grams Castor sugar

METHOD

FOR CUPCAKE

1. Preheat oven to 180°C

2. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners

3. Mix brown sugar, oil, egg & vanilla in large bowl.

4. Combine flour, baking soda & salt. Add to wet mixture. Add apple & buttermilk. Mix thoroughly just to moisten.

5. Divide batter into cupcake liners.

6. Bake cupcakes for 12 to 20 minutes, cupcakes are done when they are firm to the touch.

FOR FROSTING

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer for 3-5 minutes or until the consistency becomes smooth and creamy.

2. Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, or at least 2-3 minutes. Continue to add icing sugar until the frosting is thickened to your liking, you may not need all of the sugar.

FOR PRALINE

1. Lay almonds in a tray lined with baking paper

2. In a small heavy based sauce pan add Castor sugar and enough water to just cover sugar.

3. Heat sugar mixture over medium heat, without agitating or mixing, until sugar turns a golden colour.

4. Immediately pour sugar over almonds and allow to cool. Once hardened break into small pieces and use as garnish.

I think the frosting is a little too sweet for this cupcake. The next time I make it I will seriously re-think what I will frost the cupcake with. But it they are a fantastic moist and gorgeous cupcake. Especially considering that winter is just around the corner, I always match apple desserts with winter nights.

Oh no, its all gone!

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EDIT: I finally got some comments back from Daz, so here they are:

"I had one and I enjoyed it thoroughly. May [insert name of favourite footy team] have a winning weekend."

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"Thank you (and your girlfriend) very much. Mmmm very tasty!"
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"Awesome as always. Maybe your girlfriend should start a business."