What’s Fresh with Beth Irons: Apple Cardamom Cakes

Prep time: 35 min.       Total Time: 60 min.     Yield: 24 single serve cakes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup AP flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cardamom

2 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup applesauce

½ cup butter (melted)

½ cup sour cream

1 ½ tsp. lemon zest

1 ½ cup chopped apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

3 tbsp. apple cider

Directions

1)         Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter or oil 2 12-cup cupcake tins.

2)         Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cardamom together and set aside.

3)         Beat eggs and sugar together until mix forms a thick ribbon when spoon is lifted.  Add vanilla and applesauce and mix well.

4)         Add melted butter, sour cream and lemon zest and mix well.

5)         Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

6)         Fold in apples and fill cupcake tins using ¼ cup for each tin.

7)         Bake 20-25 minutes, until tester inserted into center of cake come out clean.

8)         Cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from cake tin, and completely cool on a rack.

Cardamom is a fragrant spice that pairs well with apples.  But this recipe will also work well with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or a combination of all 4 spices.  Mix and spice to your personal preference!