It’s apple picking season and if you went/are going, save an apple for this scrumptious recipe! The cupcakes are moist and flavorful (from the oat flour spices and grated apple) and the frosting is unique with hints of caramel and miso which pairs very well with the apple. The frosting is caramelized using light brown sugar and instead of using salt, I decided to use red miso paste for background and extra depth of flavor. I usually get miso paste from the Asian market but you can also find it in stores like Whole Foods. I actually didn’t go apple picking and just bought an apple from the store but the cupcakes still tasted wonderful (I’m sure the fresher the better though)! Whether you go apple picking or not, I hope you make these delicious cupcakes while apple season lasts!
This post contains affiliate links to some of my very favorite ingredients. This way it is easy for you to find the ingredients I used at the best price I’ve found. If you click one and purchase anything from Amazon, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale, to support what I do here. Thank you!
Cupcake pan is linked here.
Link to my favorite organic, flavorless coconut oil is here.
The brand of miso paste I use is linked here but I recommend buying it at a grocery store instead of getting it shipped.
Apple Oat Cupcakes with Caramelized Miso Frosting (gluten & nut free, dairy-free option)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (161 grams) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (64 grams) liquid oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 medium-large eggs room temperature if using coconut oil or soaked (un cracked) in hot water for 5-10 minutes before using
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (173 grams) gluten-free oat flour you can easily make you own by grinding rolled oats in a high-speed blender until a fine flour forms
- 1 medium green apple
Caramelized Miso Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup (110 gram) light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ tsps miso paste I used red
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks, 169 grams) unsalted butter or vegan butter for dairy-free
- 1 cup (111 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line a cupcake pan with parchment liners (my batch made 14 cupcakes so you might have to grab a second pan and line a couple more slots). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C).
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the brown sugar, oil, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together for a couple minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla, baking soda, and oat flour and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Cut the apple into large slices just so you can discard the center core part. Grate all of the apple slices into the batter then give the batter one last good mix. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
Caramelized Miso Buttercream Frosting:
- Add the brown sugar, miso paste, and butter to a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is deliciously fragrant. Remove from heat and pour into a large heat proof mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it cool at room temperature until slightly warm then transfer to the fridge until completely cooled (about 30-60 minutes).
- Once it's cooled, remove from the fridge and beat with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Measure out the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add half of the powdered sugar to the fluffy butter and mix until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Mix the frosting for a couple more minutes until very well mixed and fluffy.
Decorating:
- If you would like to pipe the frosting, add all of it to a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip of choice and pipe swirls or whatever design onto each cooled cupcake. If you aren't/don't want to pipe, add your desired amount of frosting to each cupcake and gently spread it towards the edges using a frosting spatula. You can get creative and shape the frosting into swoops, swirls, or other designs using the spatula. Serve and enjoy!
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