Apple Cakes
The ultimate afternoon tea-time, play-time or any time treat, these little Apple Cakes are golden, delicious and filled with a simple, rich caramel apple and topped with a vanilla glaze and cinnamon sprinkle.
Most of you know that my name isn’t Annie (it’s Sandie), so why is my blog called Apple Cake Annie? My Nanna’s name is Annie and her Apple Cakes were famous amongst our family and friends. Made for every occasion, but most importantly, made for us every time she came to visit! On her 80th birthday, she handed her recipe down to me and now it’s me who makes them for every family gathering. Having vowed to never publicly share her recipe, this is my modified version of her beautiful recipe. Annie would have turned 100 this week ❤️
What are Apple Cakes?
Apple Cakes are little butter cakes that have an apple filling and topped with a simple vanilla glaze. The cake is easy to make either with a handheld mixer or even by hand. The batter is scooped into a patty pan tray which gives the cakes that cute little domed shape, then topped with apple mixture and some more cake batter. While I make my apple mixture using fresh Granny Smith apples, you can absolutely substitute it for tinned apples. Annie and I have both been known to fill our Apple Cakes with tinned apples from time to time! Finished off with a simple vanilla glaze and a sprinkle of cinnamon, Apple Cakes are a delicious treat for any time of the day! They are:
- buttery and soft
- have a caramel apple filling
- golden and delicious
- topped with a sweet, simple glaze
- perfect for lunch boxes
- great for freezing
Ingredients for Apple Cakes
These are old school. I’m talking basic ingredients here! But when I say basic, it doesn’t mean you can cut corners with quality. As always, try to use the best quality ingredients you can find; butter, free-range eggs and a great vanilla extract make all the difference. And while I will use tinned apples in a pinch, nothing beats stewing your own fresh apples at home (it only takes 15 minutes!). Here’s what you’ll need:
- Granny Smith apples (or substitute with tinned apples)
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- butter
- caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- egg
- vanilla extract
- milk
- self-raising flour (plain/all purpose flour with a leavening agent, such as baking powder)
- pure icing sugar (powdered sugar)
How to make Apple Cakes
Ok, these guys are reallly easy to make! Depending on the size of apples you use, the apple filling recipe may leave you with a little leftover. Keep it to make my Apple Pie Porridge, use it on top of Winter Spiced Apple Pancakes, or just top it with crumble and you have dessert sorted!
Make the apple filling first and allow it to cool a little while you make the cake batter. It comes together in a matter of minutes! Just a simple butter cake, where you cream the butter and sugar, mix in the egg and vanilla, then fold through the milk and flour. These Apple Cakes are small and cute, being baked in a patty pan tin. “Pattypan” is derived from the French Provençal word “pâtisson” which means a cake made in a scalloped mould. While these tins aren’t scalloped, they do have a cute, domed shape. You can find them in most supermarkets, baking stores or here.
Half of the batter is scooped into the tray. You then add a small teaspoon of apple to the centre of the batter, pushing it into the cake a little, before topping it with the remaining batter. Bake for 12 minutes, then leave to cool while you make the glaze, which is super simple! In a small, heatproof bowl, mix together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla. Now place it over a pan of simmering water and stir until it’s thin enough to drizzle. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cooled cakes, then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Tips for making perfect Apple Cakes
I grew up watching Annie make Apple Cakes and I spent a good part of my life devouring them! Here’s my advice for making the best Apple cakes, but please remember that these are simple, rustic treats. They don’t always have to look perfect (have you seen my messy icing drips?!)
- don’t overmix the cake batter
- add more or less sugar to the apples, if desired
- grease you patty pan trays. If the cake sticks, simply scoop them out with a dessertspoon once cooled
- don’t overfill the cavities, as you’ll end up with muffin tops, rather than cute domes. Depending on the brand of tin, you may end up with a teaspoon or so of cake batter left over.
- double the batch and freeze some for later (and I dare you to let them defrost before you eat them!)
- just enjoy them!
How to store your Apple Cakes
You can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months -just separate each layer with baking paper and store them in an airtight container.
I hope you love them as much as we do.
Apple Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple filling *see notes
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced around 220g of diced apple
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ cup water
Cake batter
- 80 g butter, room temp
- 90 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp milk, room temp *see notes 60ml
- 110 g self-raising flour *see notes
Vanilla glaze
- 100 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/390℉ or 180℃ fan and spray a patty pan tray lightly with cooking spray
Apple filling
- Place the diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until tender (approx 15 minutes). If the water evaporates before 15 mins, add a little more water.
- Mash the apples and set aside to cool slightly, while you make the cake batter
Cake batter
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar with a handheld mixer, until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until well combined
- Now add the flour and milk alternately, ½ of each at a time. Fold in each addition gently, using a spatula, until just combined
- Scoop a teaspoon of batter into the prepared tray, into each of the 12 cavities and gently spread it to fill the base
- Place a small teaspoon of apple filling into the centre of each cavity, pushing it into the batter slightly
- Top with another small teaspoon of cake batter and gently tap and spread the batter over the apple.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until lovely and golden, then remove from oven and cool in the tray.
- Remove cooled cakes from the tray -if they don't come out easily, guide them out with a large dessertspoon
Vanilla glaze
- Bring about 1 cup of water in a small saucepan to a simmer
- In a small, heatproof bowl, combine the icing sugar, milk and vanilla, then place into the saucepan (without it touching the water) and stir the mixture until it's thin enough to drizzle
- Use a teaspoon to drizzle glaze onto each of the apple cakes, then sprinkle with cinnamon
Storage
- Apple Cakes can be stored in an airtight container, with a sheet of baking paper to separate each layer. They will last 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer
Notes
- I use 2 medium apple, which yields approximately 220g once peeled and cored. Feel free to replace fresh apples with tinned pie apples, but perhaps reduce the water a little.
- 1 tablespoon in Australia = 20ml
- self-raising flour is a plain/all purpose flour with a leavening agent -simply add 1 tsp of baking powder to plain flour if you can't find self-raising flour
- be careful not to overfill the patty pan, as the cake will overflow and give you muffin tops! If filled correctly, you may have about 1-2 teaspoons of batter left over (depending on the brand of patty pan you use) -either make 1 more Apple Cake or just lick the bowl!
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