A Day of Apple Picking and Mini Apple Loaf Cakes

Is there anything more Fall than apple picking?  I have been living in New England for seventeen years and I never went apple picking until I had kids.  I think simplest things become so much more special when you look at them through children's eyes.  The girls and I went apple picking with dear friends over the weekend and what a special day it was.

It was one of those perfect day when the sun was shinning so beautifully.  We walk through field of wild flowers and apples.

The girls and I had such an amazingly fun day and we came home with more apples than we know what to do with.  Today while the girls were at school, I baked yummy mini apple loaf cakes.  Baking is like therapy for me.  I know some people like to bake with their children and you see pictures of them all smiling and life is so wonderful but that is not the case with us.  Usually there are tears and arguing and somebody is in time out.  I am not the kind of baker who can just make up recipes either.  I do however love looking at amazing food blogs.  I decided to use Mini French Apple Cakes recipe from Hungry Rabbit.  If you love desserts, you will love his blog.

The cake itself is already sweet but since we got dessert monsters in this house, I made Vanilla Caramel Glaze to go over it.  They were out of this world sweet and delicious!

We even made little flags for them.  Bella asked what we were celebrating and I just said, "I don't know.  Life?"

This apple cake is definitely worth celebrating.

Recipe for Vanilla Caramel Glaze

-1/4 cup of unsalted butter
-1/3 cup of brown sugar
-1 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar
-2 tbsp of milk
-1 tbsp of vanilla extract

Melt butter in the sauce pan over medium high heat.  Once the butter is melted, put brown sugar in and stir continuously.  Once the mixture boils, remove from the heat and add the milk.  Stir vigorously until the milk is completely mixed in.  Then add vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar until you get the right consistency.  



Recipe for Mini Apple Cakes from Hungry Rabbit

Mini French Apple Cake

yield: Six 3-inch cakes or one 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds (about 4) Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise
4 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs. room temperature
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4  cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350℉. Spray six 3-inch round cake pan (3-inch high) with cooking spray, line bottoms with parchment, grease parchment. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet, set aside.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns golden brown, about 5-8 minutes; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Toss apple slices with 1 tablespoon of dark rum and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.

4. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk eggs, brown butter, milk, remaining 3 tablespoon of rum and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Divide batter evenly between prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cakes.

5. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 15 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and invert cake from pan and cool on wire rack completely, about 1 hour.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve with a dollop of sweetened créme fraīche, vanilla ice cream or simply w a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Cakes can e refrigerate in airtight containers for 3 days; bring it to room temperature or warm cake in 350℉ oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.