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Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

    Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
    Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

    Day 8 of 14 Days of Apple and it’s time for celebration, because this is my 100th post! Celebrations call for cupcakes, right? The other day, I stumbled across this cupcake cookbook in the children’s section of the library. Published in 2005, it came out long before the current cupcake craze and before the more famous Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make. I always like an underdog, so I am happy to feature this book with its beautiful photographs and varied recipes.

    These cupcakes are divine. They absolutely melt in your mouth. Although the recipe called for grating the apple, I purposely diced the apple finely so that there would be little apple chunks and I don’t regret that decision at all. I like having the little bursts of apple flavor. What really bursts through though is the cinnamon-sugar flavor – the “streusel” itself. By the way, “streusel” is German for “sprinkled topping.” I like the fact this “sprinkled topping” of butter, cinnamon and sugar, makes it unnecessary to make icing.

    Cinnamon Sugar in the middle turns to swirl
    Cinnamon Sugar in the middle turns to swirl

    Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
    Makes 12 cupcakes

    Ingredients

    Swirl & Topping
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 tsp ground cinnamon

    Cupcakes
    1 cup grated, peeled apple (1 large apple)
    2 Tbsp cinnamon-sugar (from above)
    1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup sugar
    3/4 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp salt
    2 large eggs
    1 cup1/2 cup canola or corn oil (see comments)
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

    Method (rewritten by me)

    1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a dozen cupcake tin cups with paper liners.

    2. Using an apple peeler/corer/slicer (or by hand), peel, core and slice one apple and then dice into small bits. In a medium bowl, toss the apple with 2 Tbsp of the cinnamon-sugar. Set aside.

    3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Make a small well in the center and the eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix until just blended and smooth. Stir in the apple/sugar mixture, as well as any apple juice that was released.

    4. Drop 2 Tbsp of batter into each muffin cup. Spoon 1/2 tsp of cinnamon-sugar on top of the batter. Drop another scant 2 Tbsp of batter on top. Then brush or dollop melted butter on top of the batter in each cup. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top of each cup of batter.

    5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove cupcakes from tin to cool completely. You can do this picking them out individually (careful not to burn yourself) or flipping them out by inverting them onto a wire rack and inverting them again.

    Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
    Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
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      18 replies on “Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes”

      Anything with a streusel topping captures my attention…this recipe included. Great muffin to make while guests are visiting. The smell of warm cinnamon and apples baking away in the oven —great way to start the day.

      I really think the 1 cup of oil is incorrect. When I added the oil..the batter turned into a oil sludge. I added a bit more flour and tried my luck at baking it. They look nice, but man the muffin liners are shiny with oil and there is actually oil sitting in the bottom of the tins. I would cut the oil in half.

      I got really excited about this recipe. However, it seems I should have read the comments before I made them! Seconding the experience with 1 cup of oil being just too much. My cupcakes and my pan came out of the oven kind of flat and really oily. The flavor is great though… just next time I try this style I’m going to reduce the oil and add a touch more baking soda, to try and get the light fluffiness I love in coffee cake.

      I made these as directed the other day and they were amazing. I wanted to make them again today, but was out of apples so I substituted with finely grated carrot. Delicious!

      Delicious recipe! My batter seemed a bit on the thick side…almost like a cookie batter. I used only 1/2 cup of (vegetable was all I had) oil. The cakes turned out tasting wonderful but a little on the flat/oily side. Perhaps upping the baking soda would help with the flatness or using a mix of baking soda/powder? As for the oily-ness, I’m not sure how to improve on that. Could butter be substituted for the oil?

      I don’t even know how to tell you how good these are. So many compliments. I just emailed it to the people who asked me to share it with them. These are delicious. I dress mine up with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on them. They look AND taste AMAZING!! =]

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