These little mini cakes are just the sort of recipe that I dream of for fall: the fruity bite of olive oil accompanies fresh ginger, brown sugar and molasses. There's enough spice to provide depth but still let the flavor of the apples come through. The rich salted caramel sauce is a recipe from David Lebovitz that's smooth, dark and the perfect match for these little cakes.
The rain is drizzling down as I sit at the kitchen table and gaze out the window at the ornamental cherry tree in our backyard. The tree, which was here when we moved in so many years ago, doesn't produce any edible fruit, but it does provide a brilliant show for a few brief weeks every year.
In late April, it explodes into bloom with delicate white cherry blossom petals. They stay for all-too-brief a time before fluttering their way to the grass below like floral snowflakes. And again now this fall, as the inevitable Pacific Northwest clouds settle in for the damp months ahead, our tree is suddenly ablaze with the fire of thousands of leaves in shades of copper, crimson, green and gold.
Every year as spring turns to summer and we shake off the moss and emerge into the light, I declare summer my favorite season. I bask in the warmth of the sun and the light of long summer evenings.
Yet as we turn the corner into fall and a blanket of fog creeps in on ever colder nights, I find myself looking forward to turning inwards. Cozy evenings with the shades drawn and a book in my lap. An extra blanket adding its weight to the comforter on the bed. The heat of the oven warming the kitchen.
Equipment
I used a vintage cast iron mold to make the more tall and tapered bouchon / baba shape that you see here. If you want to replicate a similar same shape, these silicone molds would work well. You can also make these in a muffin tin with no issue - the cakes will just be a bit shorter.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Apple Ginger Mini Cakes With Salted Caramel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
APPLE GINGER MINI CAKES
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger, ground
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup apple cider , or apple juice
- 3 tablespoon molasses , unsulphured
- 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, ground
- 1 large apple, cored, finely diced
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
- 6 tablespoon salted butter, cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt , (I used smoked sea salt for extra depth)
INSTRUCTIONS
APPLE GINGER MINI CAKES
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare your mini cake molds or 12 cup muffin tin by lining the interior with cupcake liners or parchment paper. NOTE: In the photos, I used a vintage cast iron pan. To adapt this to more common kitchen supplies, I recommend using a standard muffin pan. The cakes will be slightly shorter and wider.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon and cocoa powder and whisk well to combine all ingredients.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, white sugar, olive oil, baking soda, eggs, apple cider, molasses and fresh ginger until smooth.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together using a spatula until all dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add the finely diced apples to the batter and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the molds, filling nearly to the top. Firmly rap the tin/mold against the counter several times to remove bubbles from the batter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out with just a crumb or two, without being gooey. Do not over bake or you'll lose the moist sticky texture.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the tins and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Remove parchment paper from cakes and flip upside down on serving platter; the wider end will form the base and the narrower end is at top.
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
- In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the sugar and whisk until completely incorporated into the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the color of the sugar mixture is a deep golden brown. I like to keep it on the heat just until it begins to smoke - at which point I quickly remove it from the heat.
- Whisking constantly, slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar mixture - be careful as it may sizzle and foam at the beginning. Continue to whisk until the cream is completely incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Be patient - this often takes a few minutes.
- Add the vanilla and sea salt and stir well to incorporate them.
- Cool slightly before serving. Extra portions can be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or two - but it's unlikely to last that long.
NOTES
Made this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star review! ★★★★★
Vanessa says
I made these in silicon canéle moulds as I wanted small puddings for a meal with friends, one of whom doesn’t eat much and isn’t keen on desserts .
I added a splash of Calvados to the cider , increased the ground ginger and added a tsp of a Christmas spice mix. I used Granny Smith apples as they’re in season here in France.
They rose rather unevenly despite being level when they went in the oven so I cut the tops off so they’d stand up . We’ve just had them for dessert after our evening meal . They were delicious - hoping our friends think so too . I’m usually a bit sceptical of recipes containing measurements in cups but will definitely make these again. Thank you .
Kathleen Culver says
Thanks so much, Vanessa.
The Calvados sounds like a wonderful addition!
Kathleen
Toni McCormick says
I just happily stumbled upon your website (thanks Pinterest!) and can't wait to try your recipes!.. Bonus points for extolling the wisdom of our beloved Pastry Wizard, STELLA PARKS and the ever entertaining David Lebovitz! LOVE your writing style--its SO much more professional (yet eminently endearing your descriptions of your cherry tree (photos, PLEASE????--won't see that in New Orleans!) I wish I'd found this site in the fall & holidays so I could make all your wonderful treats but since I usually capitulate before Lent is over, you're first on the list. Would LOVE your input on Stella's (Parks) preference for no cream in a caramel--and David L.'s encouragement to use salted butter (all salt caveats understood).
Rosemary MacNeil says
I made these in muffin tins and they were lovely. I didn’t have heavy cream but I used canned carnation as a replacement in the sauce and it still turned out pretty great. Addictive and very much comfort food. Great recipe. Thanks
The Floured Table says
Thanks so much, Rosemary! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Kathleen
Mary says
I used my popover pan and got a similar shape to the ones pictured. The cake was moist and not too sweet; my family thought they were amazing and I would make this cake again. I did struggle with the caramel sauce and had to throw it out...the sugar never blended into the butter and became a hard sticky mess. I found another recipe (caramel) that worked better. I also served with some unsweetened vanilla whipped cream- DELICIOUS!
The Floured Table says
Hi Mary,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with me! I'm so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe. I'm sorry to hear that the caramel gave you difficulty. I've had excellent results with this recipe (which is from David Lebovitz) That said, caramel can be finicky depending on the pan, heat, etc. I'm glad that you found something that worked for you! Whipped cream sounds like a wonderful addition too.
Kathleen
The Floured Table says
Mary,
One other caramel thought...
If you're on Instagram, you can see me at @theflouredtable or http://www.instagram.com/theflouredtable.
I made the caramel sauce a while back and captured visuals of the various steps in my stories.
I saved them as a highlight in case you find the photos helpful!
Kathleen