November Cupcake of the Month….

It’s that time again– C.O.M!!  Personally, it’s my favorite time of the month because I get to eat some yummy treats!!  November was a little difficult for me because I just did pumpkin last month so that was ruled out.  The only thing that kept popping in my head were cranberries!  The common flavor pairing I found were cranberries and citrus of some sort and I definitely didn’t want to do that.  Then, I came across the Beantown Baker’s recipe for a Cranberry Walnut cupcake, which totally sparked my inspiration for an Apple Cranberry spice cupcake with Maple Brown Sugar Frosting.  I hope you enjoy!!

Cupcakes:

2 eggs
1 cup of cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of oats
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 granny smith apple, cored and peeled, then chopped

Mix the the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, and salt in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and milk together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until well blended.  Gently stir in the cranberries and chopped apples.  Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.  I use an ice cream scoop to fill the papers 3/4 of the way full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Brown Sugar Maple Frosting:

1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 cup of maple syrup
2 cups heavy whipping cream
7 TB white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 TB butter

In a mixer, mix the heavy whipping cream and 7 TB of white sugar until stiff peaks.  Remove from mixer and place in a separate bowl.  Cream the brown sugar and butter together.  Add the mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until well blended.  Gently fold this into the first mixture (whipping cream and sugar).  Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!