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Bake apple-flavored cupcakes with a decadent caramel filling as a homage to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight book cover. Bella is Edward's "forbidden fruit," and like him, you'll be tempted to sink your teeth into these treats.
Twilight-Inspired Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Recipe and photo courtesy of IHeartCuppycakes.com.
Ingredients:
1 Cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Cup all-purpose flour
½ Cup sugar
1 Tsp ginger
1 Tsp cinnamon
⅛ Tsp nutmeg
1 Tsp baking soda
¼ Tsp salt
2 large eggs
½ Cup oil
¼ Cup apple juice
1 Tsp vanilla
For The Caramel
2 Cup sugar
½ Cup water
1½ Tbsp light corn syrup
⅔ Cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
For The Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise and scraped
1 Lb. (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
Garnishes: pretzels, red sprinkles, mint leaves, black sesame seeds
Steps
Preheat oven 350F.
Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Crack the eggs into a separate, medium sized bowl and beat with a form to break up. Add the oil, apple juice, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix to combine. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until all ingredients come together.
Scoop into cupcake papers about 2/3 full. Bake in 350F oven for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make the caramel: Put sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan, stir just to combine ingredients. Turn to medium-high heat, without stirring, for 5-10 minutes until caramel turns an amber color. Wipe down any spatters with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Lower the heat a little and add the cream and butter. (Caramel will bubble!) After the bubbling decreases, stir caramel to break down lumps. Pour into a pyrex measuring cup to cool.
To make the frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Add vanilla beans. Gradually add powdered sugar. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
To assemble cupcakes: Fill cupcakes with caramel using the cone method. Dollop a fairly good amount of frosting and shape into a spherical shape.
Roll cupcake in red sprinkles to cover the frosting. Break off pretzel and stick into the top to resemble a stem. Insert a mint “leaf” in the frosting near the stem. Notch out a “bite” shape and arrange 3 sesame seeds to resemble apple seeds.
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