This the (new & improved) recipe for the Apple & Cinnamon Cupcakes I made on Series 1 of GBBO. The idea behind them was an apple-based dessert served with custard, hence the apple and cinnamon in the cupcake base and the custard powder in the frosting. Adding fruit to cake recipes is always a bit tricky because too much fruit will produce extra moisture while the cake cooks (preventing it from cooking completely and even causing it to collapse) whilst too little makes you wonder if it was worth adding any at all. The balance is usually rectified by adding more flour to a basic recipe and practising until they’re perfect. Or you could just use a wonderfully crafted recipe already tried & tested… (need I say more?)
Apple & Cinnamon Cupcakes
Makes 12
Ingredients
for the cupcakes
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g light brown soft sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 125g self-raising flour
- 65g plain flour
- 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
- 65ml milk, at room temperature
- 1 medium-sized eating apple (about 200g, e.g. braeburn, gala), peeled, cored and chopped finely
for the caramelised apple
- ½ medium-sized eating apple, peeled, cored, halved and sliced thinly (at least 15 slices)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
for the buttercream frosting
- 80g unsalted butter, softened
- 40ml milk, at room temperature
- 20g custard powder
- 300g icing sugar, sifted
Method
Make the cupcakes: preheat the oven to 180°C (165°C fan)/350°F/gas mark 4 and fill a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Combine the flours with the cinnamon and add half to the bowl, beating until smooth. Pour in the milk, beating once again, followed by the remaining flour mix and chopped apple.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, filling each no more than two-thirds full (this should be about 60g of cake mix if you’re being precise) and bake for about 25 minutes until risen and golden (and an inserted skewer comes out clean). Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t be alarmed if cupcakes shrink slightly (and I mean slightly, too much means they’re undercooked), it’s just the fruit cooling down.
Make the caramelised apples: arrange the apple slices on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with the sugar and bake in the oven (190°C (180°C fan)/375°F/gas mark 5) for about 10 minutes until golden brown and caramelised. While still warm, carefully transfer each slice to a lightly oiled sheet of strong foil then leave to cool.
Make the buttercream frosting: beat the butter with the milk, custard powder and half the icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the remaining icing sugar, a heaped spoonful at a time, to produce a thick and creamy mixture. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle and pipe onto each cupcake. Pick the best 12 caramelised apple slices and place one on top each cupcake. Enjoy!
August 21st, 2011 at 08:07
Love it Jason, I’ve got a bit of a thing for Apple cake so will be making these.
August 21st, 2011 at 09:17
Thanks Yasmin, I love cooking with apples cos they’re so versatile.
August 21st, 2011 at 11:58
Loving the use of custard powder Jase. Love anything custard related! x
August 21st, 2011 at 12:09
I have to thank you Holly, you’re the reason I have custard powder in my cupboard!
August 22nd, 2011 at 13:08
This is a brilliant recipe! I’m so glad I’ve found it, I loved your idea as soon as I saw it on the Bake Off last week.
The judges looked like they enjoyed it, but it’s good to know you’ve tested and improved it further. I really like your method written here, and even details like making 15 bits of apple to select the best – excellent idea, and allows for extra nibbles while baking
Thank you so much for posting it.
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:46
Thank you Teresa, it was one of those combinations that I thought would work in so many forms. That was a lesson learned when I’d make just enough and some wouldn’t be up to standard – and they are nice to nibble!
August 25th, 2011 at 09:38
Looking great Jae xx
August 26th, 2011 at 00:15
Cheers Jo!
September 18th, 2011 at 21:43
Yeaaaah, I’ve been hankering after this recipe ever since I saw them on the GBBO, they look so yummy + cute! Loved all your stuff on the show, it won’t be quite the same without you… :’(
September 25th, 2011 at 00:34
[...] search of raspberries (I already had the lemon curd!). The recipe isn’t much different to my Apple & Cinnamon Cupcakes or my Birthday Cupcakes as I’ve developed a base recipe that only needs a few tweaks to [...]
October 20th, 2011 at 16:10
I can’t wait to make these, they look delish esp with the caramelised apple on the top perfect, will these impress my other half, hope so…..
November 6th, 2011 at 15:46
[...] a recipe that I found on the blog of Jason White who was on the Great British Bake off, it is for Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes and since I had loads of apples, it was perfect! (though I still had too many and I ended up [...]
April 10th, 2012 at 17:48
I made these cupcakes last weekend and they were AMAZING! I didn’t have custard powder so made a brown sugar cinnamon frosting instead which was delicious. The cakes were light and a great texture, my tasters were very impressed. I’ll be making these again
April 29th, 2012 at 16:35
Made these yesterday with a twist – split the fluids – 20ml Milk 45ml Apple juice- additionally put 75g of muscavado sugar incorporated in the 175g of sugar – AMAZING
xx