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Spiced Apple and Caramel Cupcakes

With the start of September, Autumn is just round the corner meaning a return to cosy jumpers, richer foods and in baking terms warmer flavours. Apples, spices and autumn go hand in hand so today I have whipped up some spiced apple cupcakes.




This is basically a two pot recipe and very quick to make, handy when you are having to fit baking around baby naps!

Ingredients

135g dark muscovado sugar
65g caster sugar
115g melted butter
2 large eggs
80ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 large apple peeled and chopped, I used a cooking apple which gives a slightly tart taste to offset the sweetness of the cakes
1 portion of caramel, either from the tin or home made.

Method

Preheat your oven to 180/ 170 degrees fan assisted. Line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cases and put aside.

Mix together the butter and sugars until well combined. Whisk the eggs in, one at a time and then the milk and vanilla. Whisk well and set aside.

In a second bowl stir together all of the dry ingredients (apart from the apple). Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, as we have used muscovado sugar there will be some lumps in this batter. When fully combined throw in the chopped apple and give a final stir.

Fill the cupcake cases two thirds of the way up and bake for around 18 minutes. Use the skewer test to check if they are done, but be careful as if you hit a piece of apple the skewer will come out clean so test a couple of times.

Allow to cool fully and either eat as they are, or alternately you could finish them with some caramel or toffee flavoured buttercream to give some extra sweetness, or add some caramel into the centre of the sponges. I have done this using a syringe tool but if you don't have one of these slice a round of cake from the top, add some caramel then put the cut out sponge back into the hole..

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