Baked Apple Fondant Cakes
Tender little apple cakes with a soft, dense crumb and golden edges, baked in a muffin tin. Simple pantry ingredients, gently sweet, and just right with a cup of tea.
- Total
- 63 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 38 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Folding
- Sweet
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line 6 cups of a muffin tin with paper liners.
~10 min
-
Put 80 g butter in a small bowl and place it in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until fully melted. Take it out and let it cool for 2 minutes while you prepare the apples.
~4 min
Melting butter in the oven is gentle and avoids scorching; cooling prevents it from cooking the eggs when combined.
-
Peel 2 apples, cut them into quarters, remove the cores, and dice the flesh into 1 cm cubes.
~5 min
-
Crack 3 eggs into a large bowl. Add 90 g sugar and 0.25 tsp salt. Whisk for 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
~2 min
Whisking eggs and sugar for 2 minutes incorporates air and dissolves sugar, giving the cakes a lighter texture.
Whisking Whisk vigorously in a circular motion for 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Stop when it ribbons off the whisk; over-whisking can make it too airy.
-
Pour the cooled melted butter into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add 120 g flour and stir with a wooden spoon just until no dry flour remains. Stir in 60 ml water and the diced apples. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
~4 min
Stirring just until no dry flour remains prevents gluten development, keeping the cakes tender rather than tough.
The batter is meant to be thick and dense; do not add extra water to loosen it, or the cakes turn gummy.
Folding Stir gently with a wooden spoon just until no dry flour remains. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cakes tough; lumps are fine.
-
Divide the batter evenly among the 6 lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Smooth the tops with the back of the spoon.
~3 min
-
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
~25 min
Baking until golden and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs ensures the cakes are set but still tender inside.
If the toothpick comes out with wet batter rather than moist crumbs, bake 3 more minutes and check again.
-
Leave the cakes in the tin for 10 minutes to firm up, then lift them out and serve warm or at room temperature.
~10 min
Resting in the tin allows the cakes to firm up and set, making them easier to lift out without breaking.