Caramelised Apple Cupcakes

These little cupcakes have a surprisingly delicate flavour. They are the sorts of cakes you’d see in an upmarket cake shop or tea house. If you like a gutsier cake they’re probably not for you; however, if you want a little piece of naughtiness, the evidence of which will disappear quickly, these are ideal! I used Golden Delicious apples and found them a little mild and lost in the taste of the finished cake. I think next time I'll use a more robustly flavoured apple such as a Gala or Cox.

They look very pretty:

And look nice on a plate to serve at tea. Here they are under the watchful eyes of brothers Remy and Emile, stars of Ratatouille :

I realise that it’s always good to see the inside of a cake; normal practice would be to cut one in half. I am more dedicated than that – here’s one I’ve had a bite out of!

This could be one of those ‘ok, it’s just me then’ moments but I never tire at the beauty of apple slices slowly cooking in a pan. In this photo, the apples are bathing in melted butter, and I haven’t added the sugar yet:

Ingredients:
This will make 16 cupcakes
250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100g soft brown sugar
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, beaten
120ml milk (either whole or semi skimmed is fine, but not skimmed)
Vanilla extract

Caramelised apples:
65g unsalted butter
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 16 (i.e. cut each ¼ into 4)
4 tablespoons sugar

Caramel glaze:
65g unsalted butter
50g light brown sugar
225g icing sugar
Vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

How to make:
- preheat oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4 and line 2 muffin trays with paper cases.
- In a mixer, or by hand if you’re strong, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Add the remaining ingredients i.e. butter, eggs, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and well mixed.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake papers until about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool.
- To caramelise the apples melt the butter in a large pan then add the sliced apple. Gently turn the apple to ensure all surfaces get smothered in butter.
- When they are soft and golden (don’t overcook or the slices might break) add the sugar and remove from the heat.
- Lay four apple slices on top of each cupcake.
- To make the glaze, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the brown sugar.
- Stir until the sugar is melted then remove from the heat and whisk in the icing sugar, vanilla and milk.
- Dribble the caramel over each cupcake.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful things you have made.
- Eat.