apple cuscakes

...thats apple & custard cupcakes

I had to beat this recipe out of Jennie from the Cupcake bakery, It's my personal favorite of all of her flavors. First I held her down and gave her a bit of a kicking. She was not co-operating at all until I tried a bit of hair pulling - then she caved in and gave it to me. I am hoping to get a gluten free recipe from her in the near future and now that I know her weak points our success is almost guaranteed :)

I completely made all of that up - but these are in reality very nice cupcakes. The sponge part is pretty much perfection, but you can skip the custard making and buy a carton without too many ill effects. The frosting can just be dolloped on and still be pretty, a star nozzle is what is usually used, the one pictured here is often called a 'french nozzle' with about 12 points

Makes 12
Ingredients
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 130g plus 2 tsp butter
• 2 eggs
• 130g light muscovado sugar
• 3 peeled & diced or grated Bramley or granny smyth apples
• About 1 tblsp milk

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350F/gas 4
Sift the Flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl
Put the butter & sugar in a mixing bowl & beat with an electric hand mixer until pale & fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients & grated/diced apple & beat on low until combined. If the mixture seems to thick add the milk. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. Bake in a preheated oven for approx. 20-25 mins or until well risen & skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven & let cool completely on a wire rack.

Custard Recipe
Ingredients
• 570ml/1 pint milk
• 55ml/2fl oz single cream
• 1 vanilla pod or ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, yolks only
• 30g/1oz caster sugar
• 2 level tsp cornflour
Bring the milk, cream and vanilla pod to simmering point slowly over a low heat. Remove the vanilla pod (wash the vanilla pod, dry and store in jar with caster sugar to make vanilla sugar). Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a bowl until well blended. Pour the hot milk and cream on to the eggs and sugar, whisking all the time with a balloon whisk. Return to the pan, (add vanilla extract if using) and over a low heat gently stir with a wooden spatula until thickened.

Once your cupcakes are cooled core the centre with an apple core & pour in your custard

Custard Buttercream
250g of butter, 500g icing sugar, drop of cold milk (if required), 2/3 tsp custard
Make sure your butter is soft, pop into a bowl. Add your icing sugar & start to mix on a low speed. Once your icing starts to come together increase the speed to medium. I generally leave it for about 10 mins on med-high speed or until it looks like whipped cream. I then fold in the custard as it can cause your buttercream to spilt if added to quickly.