Sunflower (Apple Spice) Cupcakes

I can’t really explain why I do the things I do, but whenever I feel remotely bored or under-stimulated, I have an urge to create things. Sometimes I turn to crafts, painting etc. but most often times I turn to baking. It started with seeing the pineapple flowers in various recipe books, I think they look absolutely beautiful and delicate, despite the fact they are super easy and super delicious to make… Once the pineapple flowers were made, I had to make cupcakes to present them on and with the few ingredients left in the fridge, my option was Applesauce Cupcakes, a recipe in “Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes.” A few of the ingredients were omitted due to my brother’s extensive food allergies, and the results were absolutely fantastic.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Flour

1 Tsp of Baking Soda

¾ Tsp of Salt

2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon

½ Tsp of Nutmeg

1 stick of Butter

1 Cup of Sugar

½ Cup of Brown Sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ Cup of Applesauce (I had leftover homemade applesauce in the fridge)

For Icing:

1 stick of butter (1/2 Cup)

8 Ounces of Cream Cheese

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in applesauce. Finally stir in flour mixture.

In a 350-degree oven, bake 18 minutes or until knife tip or toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Beat all ingredients until smooth. Frost the cupcakes either with a piping bag or a spatula.

Lastly, to make the pineapple flowers, just slice a pineapple and place each slice on an upside down mini-muffin pan. Bake in a 200-degree oven for half an hour before turning them over and baking until they are completely dried (another 30-60 minutes). By placing them on the upside down muffin tins, they curl down as they dry creating a really great shape. They can be placed on flat cookie sheets as well though, and they will dry flat.

Bon Appétit!