Apple Meringue Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• For the filling: Toss the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender but still pliable and the liquid is simmering, about 6 minutes. Add the flour, and stir until it dissolves and the liquid thickens. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the filling cool completely. Divide the filling evenly into 12 little packed mounds; set aside.
• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, and coat the liners and the top of the tin with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and eggs in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. While continuing to beat, gradually pour in the butter, then add the vanilla. Adjust the mixer to medium-low, and add half the flour mixture. Add the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, taking care not to overmix the batter. It will be thin, like pancake batter; transfer it to a liquid measuring cup to make filling the muffin cup easier.
• Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared muffin tin. Top each with a mound of apple filling. Bake for 15 minutes (the cupcakes will spread quite a bit). Remove the tin from the oven, gently brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Continue to bake until the tops of the cupcakes, which bake and puff around the apple filling, spring back when pressed, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the whipped topping: Beat the cream, confectioners' sugar and sour cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks. Transfer it to a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag (snip off the tip). Pipe a dollop of whipped topping onto each cupcake (don't completely hide the cupcake), and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
• Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, cream the butter and vanilla sugar together until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla extract, beating until smooth.
• Combine the flour, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed butter, then add the sour cream, and then the rest of the flour. Beat until well combined, taking care not to over mix. Gently fold in the chopped apples.
• Divide batter between prepared muffin tins, filling them 1/2 way full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.
• Put apple butter into a small pastry bag with an open tip Squeeze a small amount into the center of each cupcake. Continue cooling completely. Then frost with icing.
• For the frosting: Using a hand or standing mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together, at medium speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in vanilla and lemon juice. On low speed, gradually add in confectioners' sugar and beat until well combined. Frost as desired.

Steps:

• First, make the decorations. Roll out the green fondant on a surface dusted with the sugar to a ½cm thickness. Cut out 12 small 'leaves' using a cutter or knife. Set aside on some baking parchment. Roll the brown fondant into 12 x 1cm 'stalks'. Set aside with the leaves.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line six holes of a 12-hole cupcake tin with red cases, and the other six with green. For the cake batter, beat the butter and both sugars with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder, grated apple and spices until fully incorporated.
• Fill the cases three-quarters full and bake for 30-35 mins, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter until light and creamy, then add the sugar and vanilla, and beat for 5 mins more until fluffy and pale.
• Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Working from the outside towards the centre, pipe the icing in a swirl over the cupcakes, applying a good amount of pressure to the bag. Use a small palette knife to smooth the icing into neat domes, then chill the cupcakes for 30 mins to firm up.
• Tip the red and green sanding sugars into separate bowls. Dip the tops of the cupcakes with the red cases into the red sugar, and those with green cases into the green sugar, turning to fully coat the icing.
• Make little indentations in the top of the icing for the fondant stalks, and add the leaves around them.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes., In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add apples and brown sugar; cook and stir until apples are tender, 10-12 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely., Using a paring knife, cut a 1-in.-wide cone-shaped piece from top of each cupcake; discard removed portion. Fill cavity with apple mixture., In a large bowl, combine the 5 frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. If desired, top with apple slices to serve.