Caramel Apple Cupcakes

These pay homage to the caramel apple. A moist soft cake with apple bits, smothered in a home-made caramel icing and topped with chopped walnuts. All it needs is a lolly stick down the middle to complete the effect!

• 70g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 30g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 apples, peeled and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180C and line one 6-muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well mixed, then reduce speed to low to mix in apples. Finally, add flour mixture and continue beating, scraping down sides of bowl.

Fill cups till half full and bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the caramel frosting.

• 225g light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 55g butter
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a saucepan, bring the sugar and cream to a boil and boil for one minute. Add baking soda, and boil one more minute. Remove from heat and add butter, but do not stir yet.

Let the mixture cool, then beat well. Spoon into a piping bag with a round tip and let chill in the fridge until it's thick enough to pipe.

Pipe a swirl of frosting on each cupcake, then sprinkle some chopped walnuts over.