Apples, Cherries, Lime and Honey Cupcakes

Quick and easy to assemble and prepare, the following tasty cupcakes will fill your kitchen with wonderful fragrance of honey and lime.
The fresh apples, cherries and lime, complement each other in the best way: the apples provide subtle sweetness and crispy texture, the cherries add their softer texture and bright color, and the lime adds a nice level of acidity and lots of citrus aroma. The addition of orange blossom honey, both in the batter and in the icing, adds another layer of sweetness and aroma.
Using oil, instead of butter, makes the cupcakes extra light in texture, and keeps them dairy-free, which makes them suitable for anyone with lactose intolerance.
The cupcakes are perfect for serving on a weekend brunch, or as a tasty snack anytime of the day. Try them and enjoy.

Makes: 16
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 medium crisp apples
½ cup roughly chopped pitted red cherries
1 Tbs lime zest
2 XL eggs
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup orange blossom honey
1/3 cup oil
¾ cup white wine
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1¾ cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
For the honey-lime icing:
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup orange blossom honey
1 tsp lime juice
2 tsp lime zest

1. Preheat the oven to 355F (180C). Line two muffins pans with 16 paper baking cups.
2. Peel, core and cut the apples into small cubes. Mix with the cherries and lime zest.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and honey. Add the oil, wine and lime juice, and whisk again. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla paste, and whisk to a smooth batter. Add the apples, cherries and lime zest, and mix with a spatula, to combine. Divide the batter between the baking cups.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack, to cool to room temperature.

5. The icing: in a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, honey, lime juice and zest. Pour over the cupcakes and let set before serving.

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