Apple Cupcakes (from Meg)

Here's a recipe from my friend Meg to help you use your fall apples:

Shelby's Apple Cake Recipe

• 4 cups peeled and diced apples (I like to use 4 1/2 to 5 cups)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)-- nuts are optional... I left them out of the cupcakes this time and they turned out great.
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon (I usually put in a little extra)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples and sugar thoroughly. Add oil, nuts, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together separately and add to apple mixture. For apple cake, bake in a greased 13x9 inch pan for 1 hour.  For apple cupcakes, bake in lined cupcake pans for 30-35 minutes.

Easy (and Delicious!) Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 8 oz (one brick) cream cheese-- does not have to be room temperature, you can mix it straight out of the fridge!  I usually used reduced fat.
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Approx 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (you may not need two full cups)

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric hand mixer at low speed until combined.  Add powdered sugar about a quarter cup at a time, mixing well after adding.  you can add as much or as little sugar as you want, until the frosting is at the sweetness and consistency you would like.

That's it!  If you decide to make it as a cake, it doesn't really need frosting (my mom never put frosting with it... Just served it warm with some vanilla ice cream.  Or plain for breakfast, yum!).  I think the cupcakes would be really good topped off with a little cinnamon sugar, but I didn't have any to test it out with.  Enjoy!! :)


--Meg