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Cupcakes: Crumb Cake Cupcakes

Source of Recipe


From "A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes" by Dede Wilson



List of Ingredients



• -- Streusel --
  
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  
• .
  
• -- Cupcakes --
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• ½ tsp baking soda
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
  
• ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• ¼ tsp almond extract
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries, or 1½ cups nuts, toasted and finely chopped
  






Instructions



1. To make the streusel:
   In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt until well combined. Stir in flour until smooth. Mixture should clump and form "crumbs" when squeezed between fingertips. Set aside.
   
   
2. To make the cupcakes:
   Preheat oven to 350° F. Place paper liners in all wells of one 12-cup and one 6-cup baking tin.
   Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in extracts. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down after each addition, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, alternately with the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture, stopping when there are still a few streaks of flour. Fold in fruit and/or nuts (if using) until just combined.
   
   
3. Divide batter evenly among cupcake wells. Place a generous amount of streusel on top of each cupcake, using your fingers to compress it into crumbs and scatter it evenly. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs. Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.
   
   Makes 18 cupcakes.
   
   ............
   
   CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES
   
   • 2/3 cup peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
   • 2/3 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
   • 1 batch batter and streusel from Crumb Cake Cupcakes, prepared without fruit or nuts
   • 18 caramel candies
   
   Preheat oven to 350° F. Place paper liners in all wells of one 12-cup and one 6-cup cupcake tins.
   
   Fold the chopped apples and walnuts into the plain cupcake batter. Fill each paper liner about one-quarter of the way full with batter. Top with a bit of streusel, then fill with remaining batter. Top with remaining streusel. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs. Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to cool completely.
   
   Melt caramels in top of double boiler or in microwave. Drizzle caramel over tops of cooled cupcakes using a fork or teaspoon. Cupcakes are now ready to serve.