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This Apple Cupcakes Recipe is simply made with plenty of apples to fully enjoy their taste: 1 kilos (2 pounds) of apples and no other spices added. The juices from the apples make each cupcake moist and soft.
Most of the apple cakes recipes use cinnamon and just enough apples to barely taste them.
This recipe is purely an apple celebration, an easy way to enjoy cooked apples on a picnic or for lunch at the office. The original recipe is an old Italian apple cake from the ’50s.
It was my mom’s favorite recipe when growing up. Back then, fruits and vegetables were locally grown under the Mediterranean sun, they were sweet and full of flavors. The Mediterranean cuisine was a celebration of those natural ingredients.
My mom has framed the page of the agenda where my grandmother found the recipe. Next to the recipe my grandmother handwriting “Buona”. For each day the agenda had different menu ideas and one recipe.
Would you like to know what was on the menu that day?
Country style risotto: probably with garden vegetables
Tongue and ham in jelly: that wouldn’t be my favourite
Tagliatelle soup: interesting
Boiled beef and calf head: calf head is actually the calf cheeks, which you can still buy today (if you want to buy them!?!)
For dessert the Apple cake
I have very vague memories of my grandmother Gilda Bosurgi Zerbi.
Born in 1893, she was already quite old when I was little. She had 8 children and my mom was among the youngest ones. I remember her sitting in an armchair joking with us children. She had a great sense of humor and very knowledgeable about cooking and quality of ingredients.
I still use her definition of a bad olive oil:
“An oil made with buttons and umbrella handles!”
Which back then were made out of bones.
Yuck !
For this recipe, I like to use Golden Reinette apples which are sweet and crunchy. You can also use Golden or your favorite local apples.
Remember that this cupcake is all about the flavor of the apples, so choose a tasty variety.
To make the cupcakes I use the cupcake silicon moulds, they are so easy to use and to clean.
You don’t need to mess with butter and flour. (Amazon affiliate link)
Here you can find out more about my baking tools or my kitchen checklist
Simply Apple Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 apples (2 lb – 1 kg)
- 2 cup flour (250 gr)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter (100 gr) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (100 gr)
- 2 fresh eggs
Topping
- 1/4 cup butter (50 gr)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (50 gr)
Instructions
- If you are making the cupcakes cut the apples into small chunks
- If you are making the cake cut the apples into large chunks
- Prepare the cake mix, first whisking the butter at room temperature with the sugar, then adding the eggs and finally the flour mixed with the baking powder. The mix should be soft and creamy
- Melt the 50 gr of sugar and 50 gr of butter in the microwave for the topping
Cupcakes
- Pour 1 tbsp of the mix in each cupcake, top it with the apples and add a tsp of melted sugar and butter.
- Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes
Cake
- Cover the bottom of a round baking tin with parchment paper, butter and coat with flour
- Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and spread evenly
- Cover with the apples, pushing the apples down into the mix
- Pour over the butter and sugar mix
- Bake in the oven at 180 C for 1 hour
I love using my Grandma’s recipes. I have her recipe cards from my Mom. Such a great connection to have with family through the kitchen. These cupcakes look so good – love how loaded with apples they are!
Grandma’s recipes are the best
Oh my – growing up, my grandmother and parents though tongue was a special addition to the meal – but I’d rather have skipped that and had seconds of desserts like this!
Ah, ah, ah, me too. Never fancied it
Such beautiful memories! These little cakes look perfect. My daughter is a huge fan of apples and would especially love them.
Thanks, I am sure she will love them
I love how these cupcakes really let the apples shine through. They look amazing.
Thanks Kate, you find the right words
You managed to get a great amount of apple in each, they look so good.
I know, I love them
Laura, these look simply scrumptious! I love apples in anything. I also love using my grandmother’s recipes as they bring back so many memories!! Awesome recipe as usual and your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Elaine. You are my inspiration for all my photography