Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, shaken and at room temperature
- 3 cups Gala or other baking apples (about 4 medium apples), shredded on the large holes of a box grater
- Maple Buttercream
Preparation
Step 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.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
Place 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 sugar and vanilla and continue beating until mixture is airy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
Turn off the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl. Set the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in buttermilk, and mix until combined, about 15 seconds (he batter will look curdled, but it’s fine). Add reserved flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in shredded apples and any accumulated liquid until just combined, about 1 minute.
Fill the muffin wells about 3/4 full (about 1/4 cup per well). Place muffin pans side by side on the rack and bake until a toothpick inserted in 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 cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
Maple Buttercream:
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a whisk attachment and beat on low speed until syrup and sugar are incorporated, about 1 minute.
Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is light and whipped, about 5 minutes. Use immediately to frost cupcakes, cakes, or cookies. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.