Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes
Week 38
Theme: Spice
Cookbook Used: Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
Author: Martha Stewart
Expect more baking recipes on this blog… I have ALOT of butter to get through. I picked this 1.5kg slab of butter up from a trip to Costco, but haven’t done anything with it.
This recipe by Martha Stewart caught my eye. Having read recently that the Amercian measurement for cup and the Australian measurement for cup are different, my cookbook now has a bunch of conversion scribbles in the ingredients list after consulting a couple of unit conversion websites. Recipe below is with my amendments. My scales have an switch from grams to ounces which came in very handy!
I’m not usually a fan of pecans. Not sure why, but perhaps my tastes have changed over the years. They went fantastically well with these cupcakes. The applesauce kept the cupcakes moist inside. I don’t recall an overwhelming taste of applesauce though, but the brown sugar, cream cheese frosting topped it off quite perfectly.
Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes
Martha Stewart – Units Converted by Iron Chef Shellie
22o grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (I didn’t have any and the recipe was just as tasty)
115 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
225 grams granulated sugar
100 grams packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
115 grams pecans, toasted and chopped
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add applesauce and then flour mixture, beating until just combined after each. Stir in pecans by hand.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to two months, in airtight containers.
To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to three days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting
115 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
225 grams cream cheese, room temperature
200 grams packed brown sugar
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to three days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth.
Makes 18.
Esz
A cup is different in the US?? Oh no! What does it translate to? I usually go online and try and figure it out but it’s always confusing.
Would be handy if ALL recipes were in either ounces or grams – do away with cups altogether I say!
penny aka jeroxie
That goes LOOK very very good… And yes we should live closer together!
Jennifer
Wow, that’s a lot of butter, but you put it to fantastic use. I love the cupcakes, and they look so cute in their Donna Hay wrappers (I have the same ones). I’m going to have to try the brown sugar cream cheese frosting too as it sounds fabulous.
Hannah
I’ve never fussed about the 20ml or so difference between American and Australia cups , but I do wish all American recipe books would convert to weight measurements. Only because I’m pedantic, not because it makes much of a difference 😉
Love the brown sugar frosting here… and you know me, I’m super excited about more sweet things to come!
Michelle Chin
What are your favorite sort of nuts then? I love pecans. Actually, I love all kinds of nuts!
Iron Chef Shellie
I’d probably say hazelnuts due to Nutella 😛 but I also loved pistachios growing up!
Michelle Ng
NUTELLA FTW! 😀 Gorgeous looking cupcakes by the way.
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
The cup difference is an annoying one – much like the tablespoon difference. Measuring things by volume in general is annoying!
Nice cupcakes! Bring on more butter usage 🙂
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
These look delightful! I love pecans, I’m glad your tastes are liking them too now. They’re the best! I used to dislike walnuts, but I love them now 🙂 Yay for more baking posts, gotta love buying the bulk!
Heidi xo
Ashley
Holy moley, that’s a MASSIVE slab of butter! Although from all the baking mum and I have been doing it’s probably not a bad idea either….applesauce cupcakes sounds like a great idea! Something different to the norm!
And I never realised that the Australian and American cup units were different! Thanks for the heads up! 😀
Celeste @ Berrytravels
Love the cupcake wrappers – so pretty!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
I use Westgold butter too-it’s great butter! Sadly I go through 1.5 kilos of butter a bit too quickly 😛
msihua
Applesauce… Looks really sinful!!
Anna Johnston
Gotta love the butter, never really lasts long in my place. This is a great little recipe too by the way. Nice One.
My Restaurants Melbourne
mmm… brown sugar cream cheese icing!!! I’ve got to get over to costco one of these days and check it out, sounds like you can get heaps there
Katherine
I love Martha Stewarts Cupcake book. I got this as a present from my Aunt and it has so many great recipes. I particularly like the Tres Leche Cupcakes. Yum. Applesauce is delicious. This recipe is definately going on my to bake list.
Agnes
I normally have at least two of those slabs of my butter in my fridge….. And you don’t want to know how many trays of eggs! 😀
Iron Chef Shellie
woah!! yes, i need to get some eggs next time I’m there!
Melbourne Mumma
I need to bake tomorrow. These look good, I need to try something new instead of the usual banana muffins using up my overripe bananas! I hope to see your new-look window on the blog soon!! I am a sucker for fairy lights. And for gingerbread houses..hint hint 😉