Mini Apple Spice Cakes are simple, elegant cakes made with almond flour, fresh apples, and warm fall spices. (Don’t forget the cinnamon-and-rye-whiskey whipped cream!)
I have so many cozy, homey apple dessert recipes on the blog, from homemade apple cider doughnut cake, apple crisp, and sheet cakes. But, sometimes the occasion calls for something a little bit more elegant, and these mini apple spice cakes are the perfect thing.
I baked these apple cakes in mini tart pans for a pretty presentation and perfect individual portions. The almond flour in the batter gives them an ultra-tender, lightly nutty crumb ~ worthy of capping off a special dinner. And the cinnamon–rye whiskey whipped cream sends them right over the top.
mini apple cakes secret ingredient (for that je ne sais quois texture)
I love sneaking a bit of almond flour into my batters ~ sometimes alongside all-purpose, sometimes all on its own for flourless bakes. It gives these mini apple cakes that moist, tender, lightly nutty crumb that feels a little more sophisticated ~ and it stays soft for days.
For these mini apple cakes look for a very finely milled, blanched almond flour so there’s zero grit. I use Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour and it melts right into the batter ~ no “graininess,” just that luxe texture.
more almond flour recipes
- almond flour brownies
- almond flour banana cake
- almond ricotta cake
- almond peach cake
- flourless belgian chocolate cake
- flourless tangerine cake
pan tips for mini apple cakes
- My mini tart pans are 4.5 inches, and they are usually sold in sets of 4. This recipe makes 6 cakes, so if you don’t have 2 sets, you can bake them in 2 batches. I left my batter on the counter while the first set baked, but you can also keep it in the fridge.
- Butter the sides and bottoms of the pans well, and add a small circle of parchment paper to the bottom, too. It doesn’t have to be cut precisely at all, I just eyeball it. These mini apple cakes have a beautiful moist texture, which means its worth it to take a little bit of care to make sure they don’t stick to your tart pans.
- Don’t fill the pans more than about halfway – they will rise beautifully, and you don’t want them spilling over the sides as they bake.
cinnamon and rye whiskey whipped cream is worth the price of admission!
A special cake deserves a special topping, and this simple flavored whipped cream is total perfection. I like to barely sweeten my whipped cream toppings so they don’t overpower the apple cakes, and the touch of rye whiskey also helps balance out the sweet flavors.
Spirits in whipped cream (per 1 cup heavy cream)
- Liqueurs (Baileys/Amaretto): up to 2–3 Tbsp
- Spirits (whiskey/rum/brandy): up to 1–2 Tbsp
the best apples for baking mini apple cakes
Honestly, I think the best kind of apples for baking are the ones you have! But, it’s true that different varieties will give you slightly different results. These are my top 3 picks for baking recipes:
Granny Smith ~ tart, firm, holds shape
Honeycrisp ~ crisp, juicy, heat-resistant
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) ~ sweet-tart, sturdy slices
Add The View from Great Island as a Trusted Google Source
Mini Apple Spice Cakes
Equipment
- 6 mini tart pans with removable bottoms
Ingredients
for the cakes
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 small to medium apples, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 heaped up loosely packed apple slices)
for the whipped cream
- 2/3 cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp rye whiskey
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
to make the cakes
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 6 mini tart pans with removeable bottoms and line the bottoms with a small circle of parchment paper. Place on top of a baking sheet and set aside. (I highly recommend using the parchment paper for these cakes because they are moist and have a tendency to stick. If you don't have 6 mini tart pans, you can bake them in batches)
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
- Fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the sliced apples. Reserve some apple slices for topping the cakes, if desired. (I used three small apple slices per mini cake).
- Divide the batter into the prepared tart pans, filling them halfway. (Don't overfill or you won't have enough batter for the 6 cakes and they may overflow)
- Gently top the cakes with a few reserved apple slices if you'd like, and bake the mini cakes for 15-20 minutes. They should rise just about to the top of the tart pans, and be a nice golden brown color. Note: if your pans are slightly different in size than mine your baking time will vary.
- Meanwhile, make the whipped cream using the instructions below.
- Remove from the oven and allow to partially cool in the tart pans until they are cool enough to handle.
- Gently remove the cakes from the tart pans and transfer to your serving plates.
- Dust with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
to make the whipped cream
- Add the 2/3 cup heavy cream, 2 tsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp rye whiskey, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and small pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl. Using a whisk, whip until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Nutrition
more special fall desserts
This mini apple cake tart recipe looks gorgeous and reads delectable. I can’t wait to try it. EE