On Sunday I was feeling somewhat energetic, so I decided to try a recipe for applesauce cupcakes that I found on the
Bake & Shake blog.
BTW, I
love this serving plate. Found it years ago at a thrift store. It's melamine and has no markings on the bottom, but I call it my Twister Plate.
I modified the recipe somewhat. First, I omitted the ground cloves because (a) I didn’t have any and (b) I don’t like ground cloves. And I used regular unsweetened applesauce from the grocery store because (a) that's all I could find and (b) I wasn't feeling energetic enough to start from scratch.
The result was delicious.
Applesauce Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice) and soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown and granulated sugars, egg and oil until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the flour mixture and applesauce alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing just until flour disappears and batter is a uniform brown. Spoon batter into a lined 12-cup cupcake pan.
Yes, the recipe makes twelve cupcakes. There were only three left when I got around to taking the photo.
Bake for 15 minutes (mine took a few minutes longer) until toothpicks inserted in the middle and edge cupcakes come out clean or with dry crumbs clinging, but no wet batter. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove and cool completely on a rack.
Frost with cream cheese icing, or sift powdered sugar over the top. I made the icing and ended up with twice as much as needed. Next time I’ll try dusting them with powdered sugar.
Cream Cheese Icing8 oz Cream Cheese, slightly softened
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 to 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the cinnamon. Then gradually add the powdered sugar until you've reached a sweetness and stiffness level you're satisfied with. Frost the cooled cupcakes.
Enjoy!
Until next time,
Lee
Happy Canada Day to all of my readers and friends north of the 49th. I hope you enjoy the festivities, picnics and fireworks, and most important of all, that you get to do it with family and friends.
