Apple Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

 

makes around 18 cupcakes


2 cups (280g) flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (120ml) LunaOlivo Arbequina Oil
3/4 cup (160g) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, separated
4 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into 0.5 cm dice
zest of 1 lemon
2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
120g unsalted butter, softened
100g light brown sugar (run your fingers through it to get rid of as many lumps as you can)
100ml maple syrup
250g cream cheese, room temperature (NB: make sure it is really room temperature, this will help minimise lumps and also the low fat stuff doesn't work well in frosting - goes oozey)
big pinch salt


Optional: Handful of finely chopped walnut pieces or extra maple syrup to decorate.


1. Preheat the oven to 170oC (or 150oC fan bake).  Line two 12 cup muffin tins with baking cups.

2. Sift flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl (or just on to a piece of baking paper).

3. Whisk olive oil, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy.  Then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time beating for around 1 minute after each addition.

4. Stir in the diced apples, lemon zest and the sifted flour mixture. 
5.  Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff then fold into the appley cake batter.   The batter will be kinda stiff (not runny) and it will seem like there is more apple than batter.  Never fear, this will only lead to appley deliciousness for your cupcakes.

6. Scoop batter into the baking cups to fill them up all the way to the top. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Cool completely in the muffin tins. When completely cool you put the cupcakes in an airtight container and  leave them in the fridge overnight (or for up to 3 days).  The flavours develop better when you leave it overnight.

7. To make the frosting: beat the butter till light and fluffy then beat in cream cheese until just mixed in (be careful not to overbeat!).  Try to get rid of any lumps in the brown sugar then beat in maple syrup, salt and brown sugar to the cream cheese mixture until well incorporating making sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl.

8. Pipe frosting on the completely cooled cupcakes and just before serving sprinkle over with chopped walnuts or drizzle over maple syrup.  Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days.