Apple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese and Coconut Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons, 3 ounces) softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) brown sugar, light or dark
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups (6-3/8 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if you're using plain applesauce) or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if you're using cinnamon-flavored applesauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) applesauce

Directions

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture.
5. Stir in applesauce until well blended.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
7. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and cool in the pan on a rack for five minutes.
9. After 5 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the pan and return to the rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese and Coconut Frosting

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (2 small packages) softened cream cheese
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil (optional) or 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1-1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) flaked coconut

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, extract and oil together, beating until smooth.
2. Use to frost tops of cupcakes.
3. Put coconut in a bowl.
4. Hold each cupcake upside down and press gently into coconut.