Fresh Apple Cupcakes with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
Keeley Ardman DeSalvoShare
Tired of pumpkin pie spice but still craving fall? Us too, so we've turned to boiled cider as a go-to flavor booster. Here, it's mixed in with chunks of fresh apple and fall spices to produce a tender and delectable cupcake. The boiled cider, from Wood's Cider Mill, also replaces vanilla in this airy, cheesy frosting to up the apple twang.
serving size:
36
Cook time:
80
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 ½ cups tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup boiled cider
- ¾ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the Frosting
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese
- 2 Tbsp boiled cider, plus more for dripping
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
- ½ cup half and half
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat oil and sugar on medium speed until light and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, spices, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry mixture to the wet, mixing until just combined. Stir in the apples, boiled cider, raisins, and walnuts.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting by combining the mascarpone, boiled cider, confectioners sugar, and 1/3 cup of the half and half. Beat with an electric mixer until thick enough to pipe or spread, about 3 minutes. Add more half and half if needed to thin.
- Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Using a skewer or toothpick, add a few drips of boiled cider onto the frosting.
Cupcakes will keep for up to week in an airtight container. Once iced, refrigerate, for up to a week.
Originally published by Pam Abrams
