Applesauce Cupcakes with Dulce De Leche Icing

These little gems are now my favorite cupcakes...ever! The cake is light and moist, the icing is creamy and luscious, with a wonderfully rich dulce de leche flavor topped with a drizzle of sweetness. Yummy!

If you are going to shoot for an over the top icing you might consider a simpler cake in order to not detract from the richness of the fluff on top.
Applesauce Cake Recipe:
2 cups flour (I used white spelt, use what you like)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 pint unsweetened applesauce (2 cups)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners or grease well; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars, butter and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in applesauce.

Fill each liner 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Transfer to wire cooling rack, cool completely.
While they cool make the icing.
Dulce De Leche Icing:
6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
pinch salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup canned dulce de leche by Nestle
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place a saucepan with about 2 inches of water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in a metal bowl, place over simmering water. Whisk constantly, until an instant read thermometer reads 160F, mixture will resemble marshmallow fluff. Remove bowl from heat and beat until stiff meringue peaks form and the outside of bowl is no longer warm, about 10 minutes. Beat in the butter a little at a time.

Add the dulce de leche, beat until incorporated. If icing curdles just keep beating.

This amount should frost 24 cupcakes or a 9" cake.
For Drizzle:
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons dulce de leche with 2-3 tablespoons milk, stirring constantly until a  (like Elmers glue) pourable consistency. Cool completely or you will melt your frosting.
Place in a piping bag or a sandwich baggie with the corner snipped off.

Frost cool cupcakes then drizzle, admire, eat one!