Miniature spiced apple cakes dipped in a sweet Caramel Icing are sure to be a hit for the final course of your teatime celebration.
Caramel-Apple Cakes
Serves: 21
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Caramel Icing (recipe follows)
- Green Apple Garnish (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 21 wells of a 24-well mini-muffin pan with cooking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, mace, ginger, and allspice. Add applesauce, butter, egg, and vanilla extract all at once, beating with a mixer at low speed just until combined, scraping sides of bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat at high speed for exactly 30 seconds. (Cake batter should be smooth and creamy.) Using a 1½ tablespoon levered scoop, portion batter into prepared wells of mini-muffin pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 10 to 13 minutes. Let cakes cool in pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Dip tops of cooled cakes into warm Caramel Icing, letting excess drip off. Dip tops of cakes into warm icing again, if desired, letting excess drip off. Turn right side up and let icing set. Keep in a covered container until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, garnish with Green Apple Garnish, if desired.
Caramel Icing
Serves: 1½ cups
With just five ingredients, this traditional cooked icing is a cinch to make and is the perfect topping for our Caramel Apple Cakes. If icing cools and becomes hardened while dipping cakes, warm it over very low heat, adding a little milk, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Conversely, if icing is too warm and thin, let it cool a bit before using.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cubed
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar and milk, stirring until combined. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, whisking until incorporated. Use immediately.
Green Apple Garnish
Finely diced green apple tossed in water and fresh lemon juice to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown is an easy-to-assemble garnish with a delightful flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 green apple
- 1½ cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, chop apple in very fine pieces.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1½ cups cold water and lemon juice. Add chopped apple and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and blot dry on paper towels before using. Use immediately.
