We made these cupcakes last Sunday (and by we, I mean Justin) and I brought them in to work on Monday. Everyone LOVED these. I mean people usually love cupcakes of any kind, but they really, genuinely, loved them. Some people had three. Three.
I had no idea they would be so popular or I would have made more. I hate to say I was shocked but I was. Out of all the cupcakes I have ever brought in, these were the most popular. I, of course, loved them too. It was hard to limit myself to only one but I did it.
People have been asking me for the recipe all week so here it is! It’s taken directly from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone’s Favorite Treat. Every cupcake we’ve made from this book has been delicious!
Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes with Brown-Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
Brown-Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- On a low speed, add applesauce and then the flour mixture, beating until just combined after each.
- Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter.
- Bake, rotating thins until halfway through, until testers inserted in the center come out clean, for about 20 minutes.
- Cool on wire racks and frost with Brown-Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, mix cream cheese, butter, and light brown sugar until smooth.
- Spread cream-cheese frosting on cupcakes. Cupcakes can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 4 days.