I always thought muffins was just a name given by adults to an oversize cupcake. Honestly, I never thought deeply about it and figured it's a good excuse to eat cake for breakfast ;)
A Google search told me that I belong to a minority group who doesn't care about the difference. There are groups seriously discussing about the difference and you can even find a detailed table showing the difference between the two! So, if you really wanna know the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, here it is:
“It's not too sweet, perhaps made with whole wheat flour, and is more likely to be loaded with fruit than candy (ex: Blueberries). A muffin can also be savory instead of sweet. The texture is usually dryer and slightly denser than their cupcake cousins.Cupcakes are, well, miniature cakes” (source).

Now that we've cleared that up, shall we go ahead with this recipe? The reason why I like muffins a tad bit more than cupcakes is, you can have it for breakfast without feeling guilty, because you know muffins are a common breakfast option (at least in some parts of the world), unlike cupcakes. Not that, I need any excuse to eat cake for breakfast, it's all just a mind game ;)
I first had Apple Streusel Muffins, when a friend baked it for me some years ago. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it very much, despite my dislike for fruits. Anyways, from that time onwards, I've wanted to make it and finally I got around to it. Yeah, my turn around time is pretty…bad, something I'm not very proud of :(
I really liked this recipe and am sure, I'll be making it often. It has a dense but soft texture. Also, I like the flavour combination of apple and cinnamon. Once baked, the apples become gooey and melt into the batter, which gives a nice contrast to the crumbly streusel topping. It's a good breakfast option, also good as a mid-day snack or a tea-time snack.
I do hope you give this recipe a try and like it too.
Here is the recipe…
Mix together the streusel ingredients and keep aside…

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon…

Whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter…

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and stir just until combined…

Fold in the apples…

Pour into lined muffin cups and sprinkle the streusel topping over each muffin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins…

Recipe adapted from here
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Plain flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder (refer notes)
- 1/2 cup Sugar (refer notes)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Milk
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (57 gms, melted)
- 2 med - big Apples (peeled and diced ( I used 2 red eating apples))
For the streusel
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Plain flour
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon ) ((refer notes))
- 2 tbsp Butter (28 gms, melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C, 10 mins before baking.
- Mix together the streusel ingredients and keep aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and stir just until combined.
- Fold in the apples. Pour into lined muffin cups and sprinkle the streusel topping over each muffin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins.
Notes
Hi Maria,
The muffins look delicious :)
Sorry if this sounds unusual, but can I bake this in one large pan?
Hi Zerene,
Thank you :) Btw, sorry for the delayed reply. I did reply to your comment earlier but because of some technical glitch it didn’t go through. Yes, you can make it a large pan as cake. I guess a 8 inch pan will do. Hope you get to try it soon.
Cheers
Maria
what will be the time and temperature if its a cake?
Hi Liza,
The temperature will be same and I think it will take around 35-40 mins, if it’s baked as a cake.
Cheers
Maria
what is the time and temperature for the cake