Moist Apple Crumble Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing

 Since my last post in which I mentioned stalkers, a few have come out of the woodwork. While I can't do much about keeping them away, we can all do something about keeping another person at bay.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Even better if it's an apple inside a cake, topped with cinnamon butter icing and delicious crumble mixture--even better if that cake happens to be moist and delicious and speckled with more cinnamon. Oh my. This is such a delicious treat for those random afternoon teas with friends, and it really is easy to put together.
My beautiful older sister used to make this as a tea cake without the icing and the crumble. I think it's traditionally an English tea cake called the Dorset Tea Cake. I have very fond childhood memories of this cake--I would literally crave it. And it's delicious which ever way you choose to make it.
I have not referenced the source of this recipe for one reason--It comes from the scrappy, torn and browned archives of the recipe drawer in the kitchen at home, handwritten by my mother. There's no knowing where it came from.

MOIST APPLE CRUMBLE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON ICING

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups self raising flour
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
5 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in the egg and the milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat until a thick smooth mixture forms. Add the apple slices and incorporate. Spoon into greased cupcake liners and smooth the tops. Bake for approximately 3/4 of an hour or until golden and cooked through when skewered.

To make the icing:

1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp brown sugar, heaped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp cream
water as needed

Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and icing sugar in a medium bowl with the cream. Whip with the electric beaters until thick and smooth, adding water if necessary to achieve the desired thickness. If your frosting turns out too runny, you can add more icing sugar to thicken it.

To make the crumble topping:

1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
pinch of cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a sort of crumbly mixture. You may add more butter to reach the desired consistency if need be.  Dry this mixture out under the grill on medium for 1-2 minutes. Top the cupcakes with the icing and then scatter this crumble mixture over the tops.