Apple Cupcakes With Marshmallow Frosting

     These are like eating single serve apple pie bread topped with marshmallow goodness.  They are more like muffins but "muffins with frosting" didn't sound as good.  The muffin-like texture may be a one-time issue; I accidentally used baking powder instead of baking soda.  Whoops.

     Thank goodness for my food processor and stand mixer because making these cupcakes were a lot of work.  I had to peel and core an apple, then shred it using the shredding disk on my food processor.

    The cupcakes also had chunks of dried apples (yum!) and I wish I had used the food processor to dice them.  Instead, I chopped the dried apples and the chunks just weren't appealing, texture-wise.  They didn't taste bad, just unexpected.

     The stand mixer made mixing the dough a snap--especially with the chunky bits of shredded fresh apple and chopped dried apple.  The next time I make this, I am going to experiment with unsweetened applesauce instead of the fresh apple.  It will make the prep much easier and faster and it might help to lighten up the texture of the cupcake.

     In the end, I think these are worth the effort.  They taste great; the frosting makes these cupcakes.  And they are truly healthy, not just a "healthier" cupcake.  

     Try them and tell me what you think!

Apple Cupcakes With Marshmallow Frosting
From EatingWell.com
Yield: 12 cupcakes (I only got 10 from my first batch.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups shredded, peeled apples (about 1 large apple)
1/2 cup diced, dried apples
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, plus 3/4 cup, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
Cinnamon Marshmallow Frosting

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or coat with a thin film of cooking oil.

2) Combine shredded and dried apples in a bowl with 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. Beat oil and the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute.

3) Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, coarse Kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. 

4) With the stand mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter.  Start and end with the dry ingredients.  Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.  Once all of the dry ingredients and buttermilk has been added, continue to mix until everything is just combined.

5) Stir in the apple mixture until just combined.  Fill the muffin cups to the tops of the liners.

6) Bake for 20-22 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake should come out clean.

7) Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool--wait one hour prior to frosting with the Cinnamon Marshmallow Frosting.  The un-frosted cupcakes can also be stored overnight and frosted the next day. 

Nutrition Information Per Cupcake With Frosting:
Calories: 267, Total Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 4g, Fiber: 2g, Sodium: 188mg,