These apple and cinnamon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting may seem more of a Fall dessert in the US but if weather plays a role in our food choices, when my daughter made these last weekend, looking for fall comfort would have been appropriate…there was still a chill in the air! We’ve had a glorious spring this past weekend but I hear the cold is not over yet so living in Colorado can see our food choices be as confusing as our weather! Beyond that? I just simply love this combination of ingredients…any time of the year!
Em was going to a Swap Meet put on by a friend of her’s who lives near Boulder and as happens a lot when invited to an event; she was asked to bring food (in that regard she is certainly her mother’s daughter!). This is not an old family recipe that I can relay a story to you about though…nope, this is straight Martha Stewart. You know, I’m not a big fan but then some things stick in my craw I won’t deny. Her stint in federal prison said a lot about her character to me and I find an admirable strength of character in a person one of the attributes I look for most…soooo, I’ll share these because Emily made them, and they tasted good, they really did – but I won’t be doing any fawning over Ms. Stewart today if that’s OK. 🙂
I’ve been to swap meets in Denver where we all bring a food item to share; Emily and her friends swap more along the lines of clothes and jewelry…have to admit it’s a fun way to recycle things that all parties might be weary of. We need to organize swap meets for food bloggers and their photo props…yeah, I’ll get right on that!
So, whether you have some chill in the air…or don’t…I do have to day these were tasty cupcakes even if I did have mine for breakfast. Would that make it a muffin??
I was asked by the folks with Defiant Bean Roasters if I would like to sample some of their coffee. Always up for coffee, I said sure and I’m sure glad I did!. Defiant Bean Roasters is a small batch coffee roaster in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. While I would be happy to buzz on over; it’s a couple of hours by car so I’m most grateful they also sell their beans online and at some local Denver Whole Foods stores. Through relationships with the world’s coffee farmers, they source quality beans grown, picked, and processed with careful attention and pride. Their philosophy is to roast those beans with the same values. I’ve only gone through one bag of the samples so far but I’m already a bit sad…their El Salvador coffee made a seriously good cup of coffee.
My friends that I’m staying with are big coffee drinkers but I’m pickier about what I drink. Terry simply likes it dark and strong and didn’t really pick up on the nuances that I loved so much. Though I’m typically a Mocha Java kind of girl (and I’ll be opening that bag next), I simply LOVED this El Salvador coffee which is processed with Honey. Their tasting notes indicate sweet, crisp, clean jam notes of peach and apricot but like with some tasting notes provided for wines, these particulars can escape me. I just know it was damn good! I love their tag line too:
be defiant
demand fresh roasted coffee
Together? Really the perfect way to the start of my morning.
Serves Makes 2 dozen cupcakes
10 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups coarsely shredded apples, such as Macintosh (about 1 3/4 pounds)
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
- Reduce speed to low; mix in apples. Add flour mixture; mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until just combined.
- Fill lined cups halfway with batter; bake until tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from tins; let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, frost cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle until smooth; scrape down sides of bowl. Add butter; mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar; add vanilla. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Use immediately.
Defiant Bean Roasters provided me with free samples of 4 coffees but all commentary is my own.
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