Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) spice or carrot cake mix*
• 2 cups chopped peeled tart apples
• 20 caramels**
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 12 Popsicle sticks

Instructions

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions; fold in apples.
2. Fill 12 greased or paper-lined jumbo muffin cups three-fourths full.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.
4. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
5. In a saucepan, cook the caramels and milk over low heat until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.
6. Sprinkle with pecans.
7. Insert a wooden stick into the center of each cupcake.

Notes

* 18.25 ounce boxes of cake mix have been replaced by 16.5 ounce and 15.25 ounce boxes. To compensate for the volume loss in a 16 ounce box, whisk 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the dry cake mix before proceeding with the recipe. To compensate for the volume loss in a 15.25 ounce box, add 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

** This recipe was tested with Hershey caramels.

Attribution

Quick Cooking magazine - September/October 2001