Apple Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-tin muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until fully combined.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl. Stir until just combined (when you no longer see dry flour). Fold in the grated apples until evenly distributed.
4. Evenly distribute the batter with a cookie scoop, measuring cup, or spoon. The batter will come about 1/4-inch from the top. Bake for 20-24 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean. (You don’t want any gooey bits left on the toothpick.)
5. Let cool in the muffin pan for 15 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Allow to fully cool for the best texture. Once cooled, prepare the frosting.
6. Combine cream cheese in large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer). Beat until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the vanilla and spices and beat again until smooth. Spread on the muffins and serve. Keep any extra frosting in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. For a less sweet muffin, you can reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.
2. Not all muffin pans are created equal. If your liners only fill about 1/2-2/3 the way up, they will take 1-3 minutes less time to bake. If the batter comes all the way to the top, they might take an extra couple of minutes.
3. The frosting will be very soft and creamy but not runny. It should hold in place when spread on the muffins but not stiff enough to frost a layered cake. This is meant to be a mildly sweet frosting. For more sweetness, add more sifted powdered sugar.