Easy Owl Cupcakes #moist apple cake

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I thought I’d make Easy Owl cupcakes. Aren’t these the cutest ?

I love owls, they are so quietly intense. They have a reputation for being wise, although I don’t know where that ever came from. They are also quite close to my heart because my Aunty was an owl and so was my Mother. Let me explain because that is a pretty strange thing to say.

Growing up in a family of Owls

Growing up in our family meant doing badges and ironing uniforms and being occupied with group activities on most Saturdays of the year. Our Grandmother came from Hull in England and brought with her a love of Guiding, as in Girl Guides, that we didn’t necessarily share. She was very enthusiastic about it though, and encouraged all of her family to sign up or ship out. My Mother and Aunt were recruited to run the local Brownie troop, as this was a tiny breeding ground for Girl Guides. Brownies were inducted from as young as 6 to 8 and worked towards becoming a Girl Guide by the time they hit high school. I view it a little like my Grandmothers own version of Scientology (before it became a thing). If she got them young enough, the Brownies became so used to selling cookies and doing badges without ever remembering it was Saturday ( day off school), that it was a natural progression into Girl Guides. And Owls, I hear you ask?.

Our little troop were lead by my Aunt who was in charge. She was called “Brown Owl”, and my Mother (who was the two IC- lieutenant), was known as “Tawny Owl”. No idea why, but for 4 or 5 years of my life I called my Mother Tawny Owl on a Saturday. After I had learned to knit, develop my entrepreneurial side via sales and learnt my loyalty pledge by heart, I “flew up” to Girl Guides, with the help of some Owls (my Mother and Aunt on either side of me lifting me into the air across a make believe river aka womanhood).

and so……

My attraction to these cute Owls was very selfish. I hope you find it in your heart to make them and give them a good home as they are very personally attached to me…..

Easy Stir Together Owl Cupcakes

If you decide you like them they are made using a simple stir together cake batter that contains apple purée, so it stays moist. The decorations are so simple even a troop of brownies could achieve them, even if they had a full program on a Saturday. Do you like Oreo’s?. Good you will love them even more.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Owl Cupcakes

Oh so cute Owly cupcakes that are simple and pretty darn quick.

Course: Cup Cakes

Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 400 gm pie apple the cooked sliced tinned ones ( or unsweetened apple purée)
• 160 ml oil any type
• 2 eggs
• 300 gm caster sugar 1 1/2 cups
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 300 gm plain flour 2 cups
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Frosting

• 200 gm icing sugar mixtures ok. ( powdered sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon dark rich cocoa this makes a nice light brown colour
• 25 gm melted butter
• 30 ml cold water

Decorations

• 16 oreo cookies large
• 16 small Oreo cookies optional
• 200 gm tiny chocolate chips
• 12 pieces licorice All sorts or other coloured flat candies for the noses

Instructions

This recipe uses Australian cup measurements. I used medium sized deep papers. Yielding 16 cakes. Oven temperature 170 C/ 340 F.

• Set the oven to 170 C
• Put the eggs, cooked or tinned apples,oil and sugar into a blender ( preferably) or a food processor, and blend till combined and creamy
• Pour into a large bowl and mix in the flour and baking soda. Mix till there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
• Pour the batter into cupcake paper sitting in a cupcake pan. This will ensure the cupcakes stay upright and keep their shape.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Don't over bake. They will be just firm to touch. Let them cool down completely

To make the frosting

• Put the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl and stir well. Melt the butter and water without any evaporating and then stir this into the icing. Mix thoroughly till you have a stiff but spreadable icing. If you want to add any more liquid add only a single drop at a time. Too much water will make the icing thin and runny.
• Spread with a small pallet knife or a knife without a serrated edge. This is enough icing for 16 medium sized cupcakes with some left over.
• To cut the Oreo cookies, hold the cookie vertically and press together tightly while cutting down the middle with a sharp knife. In most cases this gives you icing on both pieces. If not spread some of the icing onto both biscuits with a sharp knife. Do the same with the small Oreos if using. Cut the Allsorts into slices and then into pointed pieces to resemble the beaks.
• Press a chocolate button into the centre of each eye before attaching to the cupcake. Press gently and then add more buttons for the feathers on the head. Finish each face with a beak.
• The cakes keep very well. Once decorated they will keep overnight but the biscuits are not quite as crunchy the next day.
• These cupcakes also freeze well before decorating

The decorations on these cupcakes were adapted from pictures on Pinterest.

Try these Apple Cupcakes too: Princess Cupcakes, easy one bowl apple cakes.

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