Apple Streusel Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

By crisscut

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 cups sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canola or corm oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Make the swirl and topping. In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.

Make the cupcakes. In a small bowl, mix the grated apple and the 2 tbsp. of cinnamon sugar together; set aside. In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the eggs, oil, and vanilla, stirring until the ingredients are smoothly blended. Stir in the reserved apple mixture, with any juice that has been released.

Spoon about 2 tbsp. of batter into each paper liner. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. cinnamon sugar over the batter in each liner. Spoon the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar, using a scant 2 tbsp. of batter for each cupcake. Use a pastry brush to dab the top of the batter with the melted butter. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake just until the tops are light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completey.

Makes 12 regular cupcakes.