Mini Apple Cakes

There’s something about moving that always makes you want new stuff. It doesn’t matter if your moving across town or across the country, from a house to an apartment, or vice versa…you want new stuff.

It’s like a disease. One that I’m currently suffering through. In particular, I want new bedding.

Fluffy, girly, poufy, frilly bedding.

There’s really no point here. Just telling you I want new bedding. You’re welcome.

Up until today, I had lots of baking to do to distract me from shopping, but now, I’m all prepared for the move, my mixers are packed away and waiting for storage, and all I have is time. And the internet.

Here, have one of these cakes…take them on a picnic…I’m going window shopping.

Oh…take some caramel sauce, too. Trust me.

Mini Apple Cakes
Makes 12 standard muffin-sized cakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 apple, cored and cut into 1/4″ slices
raw sugar
cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or in a standing mixer, mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, zest, and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in half of the milk until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, alternating and finishing with the flour (flour-milk-flour-milk-flour).

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Lay 3 to 4 apple slices on each cake, and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before serving.