Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat, continuing to boil until the liquid has reduced in half, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, stir together until well blended the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt.

In another large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Stir in the vanilla extract and egg, then pour in the reduced cider mixture and blend until everything is well combined.

Pour the flour mixture into the liquid mixture, and stir until everything is just blended, but do not over-mix the batter to ensure that muffins will be soft and tender.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup until ¾ full. Bake uncovered for 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

For the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon zest. Once the muffins have cooled, brush each all over with the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until well coated.