Spiced Apple Cupcakes

Spiced Apple Cupcakes   Yield: 24

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt:fine salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon and cassia:ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ginger:ground ginger
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus
more for coating the muffin
pans if needed
2 cups Sugar:granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla bean:vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, shaken and at room temperature
3 cups shredded Gala or other baking apples (about 4 medium apples),
shredded on the large holes
of a box grater

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 (12-well) muffin pans with paper
liners. Alternatively, coat the wells with butter; set aside.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl and whisk to aerate
and break up any lumps; set aside.

3. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on
medium-high speed until very light in color, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and
continue beating until the mixture is airy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix
until well combined, about 1 minute.

4. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl. Set the mixer on low
speed, slowly pour in the buttermilk, and mix until combined, about 15 seconds (the batter will
look curdled, but it’s fine). Add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 15
seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the shredded apples and any accumulated liquid
until just combined, about 1 minute.

5. Fill the muffin wells about three-quarters full (about 1/4 cup per well). Place the muffin pans
side by side on the rack and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes
out clean, rotating the pans front to back and side to side halfway through the baking time, about
20 to 25 minutes total. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks
before frosting with your choice, or just dust with confectioner's sugar.

From Chow.com
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