Apple-Cranberry Cupcakes with Cranberry Icing

My weakness for apple cakes knows no end. I also love cranberries in all their forms; so obviously, it was time to combine the two in one tasty cake.
The experiment ended up with these moist, sweet with a hint of sour cupcakes. A pinkish cranberry icing on top felt like a good thing and indeed added the perfect finishing touch.

As the cupcakes contain apples, a fruit from the old world, and cranberries from the new world – they are just perfect to serve as part of the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.

Needless to say, they are tasty on their own right, so even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you can still enjoy them on any other occasion.

Update: Nancy, a fellow blogger, baked these cupcakes in mini-bundt pan. The result is beautiful. Check out her blog to see the result, and get lots of other great recipes while at it… 🙂

Makes: 18
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 medium apples
3 XL eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
½ cup oil
2/3 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
Dash salt
½ cup dried cranberries + for garnish
For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs cranberry juice

1. The cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line cupcakes tins with 18 baking cups. 2. Peel and core the apples and cut into medium size cubes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add the oil and cranberry juice and whisk again. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix to an even batter. Do not over-mix. Add the diced apples and cranberries and mix gently with a spatula. Fill the baking cups with the batter.

4. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the cupcakes are puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out almost dry. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature.

5. The icing: place the powdered sugar in a bowl and mix in the cranberry juice, 1 Tbs at a time, until you reach a thick yet runny consistency. Pour over the cupcakes, add 2-3 dried cranberries, and let set before serving.

The unglazed cupcakes can be frozen, in an airtight container, for up to a month. The glazed cupcakes will keep for up to 3 days.