These mini apple cakes have all the cozy fall flavors, like pumpkin spice, cinnamon and juicy apple in every bite. They make a great treat for a sunny and crisp fall afternoon and are perfect for a picnic outdoors.
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Why make this recipe?
The mini cakes are flavored with pumpkin spice, packed with juicy slices of Honeycrisp apple and topped with cinnamon whipped cream. The cake batter is made with whole wheat flour and wheat germ both for a nutty flavor and for a firmer texture.
The cakes are baked in 4-ounce ramekins and, if you want to, you can serve them in the ramekins, which makes it easy to transport them and bring to a picnic or on a camping trip.
Rather than mixing small apple chunks into the batter, you stick whole apple slices into the cakes for juicy and intense apple flavor in every bite.
Ingredients needed:
For the cakes:
Cake ingredient notes:
- Wheat germ is one of the three components that make up the edible part of a wheat kernel. It has a rich and nutty flavor and also a lot of health benefits.
- Please be sure to use a Honeycrisp and not any other apple variety for this recipe. The juiciness and flavor of a Honeycrisp are perfect here.
For the cinnamon whipped cream:
How to make the cakes:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 4-ounce ramekins with vegetable shortening, sprinkle all-purpose flour into them, then shake out the excess. Set the ramekins on a small baking sheet and set aside.
Step 2. Add wheat germ, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Step 3. Peel, core, quarter and slice the apple (try to slice each quarter into 12 slices). Set aside.
Step 4. With an electric mixer or a standing mixer, whip butter and sugar together until creamy.
Step 5. Whip in the eggs.
Step 6. Whip in the dry ingredients and keep whipping until you have a smooth batter.
Step 7. Distribute the batter among the ramekins, then stick 6 apple slices into each ramekin vertically.
Step 8. Bake the cakes on the baking sheet until a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean (about 30 minutes). Let the cakes cool in the ramekins.
Recipe notes & tips:
- When you fill the ramekins it will look like there is not enough batter but don’t worry, the cakes will rise a lot in the oven and will fill the ramekins nicely.
- If you don’t like the idea of whipped cream, you can make this pecan praline icing instead and drizzle it on the baked and cooled cakes. The icing will add quite a bit of sweetness and a mild butterscotch flavor. Let the icing dry, then serve the cakes.
Frequently asked questions:
Serve the baked cakes with the cinnamon whipped cream. You can either leave the cakes in the ramekins or run a knife around the edge of each one and unmold.
These individual apple cakes are easy to transport and because of that they are perfect to bring to a picnic, a camping trip or a get together.
More delicious fall treats:
See more cake and bake recipes →
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Full Printable Recipe
Mini Apple Cakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Equipment
- 4 ramekins (4-ounce capacity)
- baking sheet
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- knife and cutting board
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- rubber spatula
- toothpick
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- vegetable shortening, to grease the ramekins
- 1 tablespoon wheat germ*
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, more to flour the ramekins
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ honeycrisp apple
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
For the whipped cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the cakes:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease four 4-ounce ramekins with vegetable shortening, then sprinkle with all-purpose flour and shake out the excess. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Whisk wheat germ, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Peel, core and quarter the apple.
- Slice the apple quarters into thin slices. (Try to slice each quarter into 12 slices).
- Whip butter and brown sugar together until creamy.
- Whip in the eggs.
- Whip in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Keep whipping until you have a smooth batter.
- Distribute the batter among the four ramekins.**
- Stick the slices into the batter vertically (about 6 apple slices for each ramekin).
- Transfer the baking tray into the oven and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean (about 30 minutes).
For the whipped cream:
- Add cream, sugar and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and whip to stiff peaks.
- Keep the whipped cream refrigerated.
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