Mini Apple Crumb Cakes

This recipe made for some yummy little cakes! They didn't look like they do in the picture, but they're charmingly ugly :)

If I were to change this recipe, I'd specify the amount of apples needed, the prep and bake time (the bake time is provided at the end, but it'd be helpful to show it at the beginning), and give specifics as to how the batter should look at different stages, because I thought I'd been doing it completely wrong until they were out of the oven.

In my experience, this is what the ingredients looked like at the different stages, and tips for what to do, for reference if you need it:

Instead of using cupcake liners, you can grease the muffin pan and spoon the batter directly into the pan. This makes it so that there aren't rumples on the sides, and so that you use fewer resources. Of course, if you prefer using cupcake liners, feel free!

The walnuts in this recipe are actually optional. I'm not a fan of walnuts, so I skipped them, and the cakes turned out wonderfully without them!

At the beginning, when the apples are being cooked on stovetop, try to use a flat pan, one that doesn't have any bumps anywhere. When I first used this recipe, I used a pan that was higher in the middle than on the sides, so the butter was all at the edges of the pan. Also don't let the butter burn, keep an eye on it.

When you pour in the brown sugar and salt into the pan, don't be alarmed by how it looks. Before stirring the brown sugar and salt into the cooked apples, it'll look like you've done something wrong. You probably didn't! Just mix it all together until it look like a brown gooey blob and let it rest.

Once you're done with the pan, I'd suggest cleaning it right away, or filling it with soapy water to keep the brown sugar mixture from sticking.

When I finished combining the flour mixture and the brown sugar gloop, it was a pretty crumbly batter. Make sure to stir it enough that there aren't random splotches of flour everywhere.

Use a small spoon to spoon the crumbly batter into the pan. This'll help you not spill everywhere, like I did :/ I let them bake for 19 minutes, but obviously it depends on your stove.

As they come out of the oven, put the pan somewhere other than the stovetop. You might already do this, but I've seen many people placing the pan on top of the stove. You shouldn't do this because the stovetop is hot from the oven, and you want to let the cakes cool.

When you're done, pull the cakes out by hand, or gently with a fork if you didn't use cupcake liners. I sprinkled a dash of confectioners sugar on mine, but next time I might try topping them with caramel syrup. I'll let probably let you know if it goes well!

Anyways, these cakes are nice with tea, and for sharing with family over a conversation! Have fun :P

I made these today and couldn't believe there were no spices. And I made fifteen not twelve. I made a few changes due to personal preference. I added 1/2 a cup of whole wheat flour, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Hubby requested apple crumb cake last night, but since there's only two of us I do a lot of cakes as cupcakes because it makes it easier to freeze in convenient packages. I'm not sure how they taste cause I haven't tried them yet, so I'll post again after trying one.

I made these muffins yesterday afternoon, and already there are only 4 left ( hubby ate 4 last night after I went out, and I took some with me to a friend). I followed the recipe to the letter, only excluding the nuts due to family allergies. I like the flavor of the muffins, but they werent the texture I'd hoped for. I will try them again, since they call for common pantry ingredients we always have on hand. Thinking next time I will add some sour cream to the batter and also maybe a pinch of either cinnamon or nutmeg to the apples&brown sugar before it is incorporated into the dry ingredients. ALso, instead of using confectioner's sugar, I will likely sprinkle some finishing sugar or turbinado atop the muffins before baking for added crunch and texture

I made the recipe times three and in doing so eliminated a third of the sugar. Thought maybe I could do that with the butter, too, but no. I added in another stick of butter at the last minute. I also used apples with their peels as well as apples that were on their way out. Turned out really good. Definitely a "crumble", probably especially because I reduced the sugar. But it worked. A great recipe for using up fruit from a big warehouse store purchase.