Caramel–Apple Pound Cakelettes
You will need mini-Bundt pans for this recipe for the visual effect. Well worth the effort to seek one out. You will use the pans for any and all pound cake and coffee type cakes in your repertoire for generous single sized portions. Jocelyn Delk-Adams brings us this recipe, as well as a Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake, both from her book Grandbaby Cakes. The cake is made rich with cream cheese, the sautéed apples are tart Granny Smith apples, all the better to temper the sweetness of the Caramel Sauce poured on top. And those little stems? Tiny pretzel sticks. Brilliant.
Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes
The first days of autumn are always so comforting, like a blanket that’s worn and cozy from supporting several years of naps. As the season is fully realized, the delicate summer breeze grows edgier and the trees awaken with warm electrifying tones. In the country, you may find some of those trees dripping with a harvest of inviting green and red apples, ripe for picking and filling pies and Dutch babies. Personally, I love to dunk them in a sea of Aunt Beverly’s silky caramel for a classic tasty-apple treat.
These cakelettes are the perfect Southern rendition of that classic fall delight. Their petite size and dainty shape mimic the round fruit, and their crown of sautéed apple slices and caramel sauce, complete with charming little stems, will give you just the caramel-apple taste you long for during autumn—but with some Southern charm, of course.
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ cups sifted cake flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon rum
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 6–8 small pretzel sticks
- FOR THE CAKE: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare 2 5-cup or 6-cup mini Bundt pans with the nonstick method of your choice.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and shortening for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add the sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Be careful not to overbeat. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Using an ice cream scooper with a trigger release, scoop the batter into the prepared pans until each cavity is ¾ full. Be careful not to overfill. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cakelette comes out just barely clean. Do not overbake.
- Let the cakelettes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks. Let cool to room
- temperature. Lightly cover the cakelettes with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
- FOR THE S AUTÉED APPLES: In a medium sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter and lemon. Whisk in the sugar and increase the heat to medium. Watch until the mixture begins to turn a caramel-brown color, which can take up to 8 minutes. Make sure the mixture does not burn.
- Add the apple slices, heavy cream, rum, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. While the apples sauté, start the caramel icing. When the apples are tender, remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- FOR THE CARAMEL ICING: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the evaporated milk, sugar, and butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the caramel begins to boil and thicken. Keep close watch, adjusting the heat to avoid burning.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract and salt, and let cool for about 6 to 8 minutes to slightly thicken.
- TO ASSEMBLE: Carefully spoon the sautéed apples on top of each cakelette. Drizzle caramel icing over the apples. Insert a pretzel stick into the center of each cakelette to resemble an apple stem. Serve at room temperature.
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