Prune Spice Cupcakes

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup chopped pitted prunes (about 10 prunes)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• Butterscotch Maple Frosting

Details

Adapted from frontiercoop.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set pans aside.

*Cupcake Batter:*
Place cake mix and cocoa powder in large mixing bowl and stir with wooden spoon to mix. Add prunes and stir to coat prunes with cake mix and cocoa. Add applesauce, water, oil, eggs, nutmeg, and allspice. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and blend 1 1/2 minutes more, scraping down sides again if needed. Batter should look well combined and thickened.

Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if any.) Place pans in oven.

Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run dinner knife around edge of cupcake liners, lift cupcakes up from bottoms of cups using end of knife, and pick them out of cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

*Butterscotch Maple Frosting:*

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover tops completely. Place them in refrigerator until frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cupcakes are now ready to serve.

Store cupcakes, in cake saver or under glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in foil or in cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw cupcakes overnight in refrigerator before serving.

*Chef Suggestions:*
Not crazy about prunes? Use golden raisins instead. Or really crazy about prunes? Use orange-flavored prunes. Keep in mind that prunes tend to be softer if purchased in bag or in sealed cardboard box. Once you open box, be sure to seal it well to keep them soft. If prunes are hard, pour a tablespoon or two of water over them and soften in microwave oven for 10 to 15 seconds. It is easiest to chop prunes--and all dried fruit--if you first lightly oil paring knife.