When I was growing up, we had three apple trees in our backyard, right in a row along the back fence. Three trees may not sound like much, but they produced a LOT of apples for a family of four. We had to get pretty creative with our apple usage, and during peak harvest season we made every apple-based thing you can imagine. Applesauce, apple crisp, apple pie…we also just ate a lot of apples. Preferably with peanut butter.
But even with all of that, we had more apples than we knew what to do with, and we had to start seeking out new ideas. That was how we came across the recipe for German Apple Cake, which became an instant family favorite. It’s a unique cake – very apple-centric, which was good for our apple-using needs, with just enough batter to hold the apples together. The result is a cake with a pleasantly flaky, almost crunchy top and sweet, soft apple chunks baked in.
I think we first made it for a potluck where every family had to bring a dish that represented their cultural heritage. Though we’re of pretty diverse ancestry, the 3/8 German heritage was the majority, so German Apple Cake seemed like a good choice. And once we discovered it, we just kept making it! From family gatherings to Fall evenings at home, it was perfect for everything.
To put my own twist on it, I decided to try the cake in cupcake form, which turned out quite well! It was still perfectly moist, with the same flaky top. Though the original recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting, which is delicious (as cream cheese frostings tend to be), we sometimes made the cake and served it with just a dollop of whipped cream on top, which I found I liked even more! So I went with a whipped cream frosting for this recipe. And I decided to drizzle a red-hot cinnamon syrup on top to add a pop of flavor and color.
The Original
German Apple Cake: A cinnamon-y sheet cake with apple chunks baked in and classic cream cheese frosting.
The Reinterpretation
German Apple cupcakes with a light whipped cream frosting and a drizzle of red-hot cinnamon syrup. (Makes about 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped peeled tart apples (for me, this ended up being about 4 medium-sized apples. I originally misread the directions and bought 4 pounds of apples, which is definitely more than you need. The next post here may be apple-based as well…)
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
For frosting:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugar, to taste
1 box red-hot cinnamon candies
2/3 cup boiling water
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cupcake pan or fill with cupcake liners.
2. Peel and chop your apples, and nuts if using; set aside.
This is more apples than you need.
Cut apples into small-ish chunks, but not too small – you still want them to be the star of the cake!
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add to egg mixture gradually, mixing well. (Batter will be quite thick and sticky).
Well-mixed batter
5. Fold in apples and nuts, if using.
6. Fill cupcake wells about 3/4 of the way to the top.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until tops are evenly browned and spring back at touch.
Delicious flaky tops!
8. Cool cupcakes completely on wire rack.
9. While cupcakes are cooling, pour heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and beat on medium speed until cream begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar gradually, to taste. Place bowl in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the syrup.
Heavy whipping cream, ready to become whipped cream!
10. Pour about half of the red-hot candies into a small bowl and cover with 2/3 cup boiling water. Let stand for a few minutes to dissolve the coating from the candies. Strain the remainder of the candies out and pour liquid into a small saucepan.
You should get a nice vibrant red color!
11. Bring liquid to a boil. Add 1 1/3 cups sugar and stir constantly until completely dissolved. Boil for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to thicken.
12. Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip and fill with whipped cream. Pipe the whipped cream onto the cooled cupcakes.
Preparing a piping bag
All frosted!
13. To add the syrup, I filled another piping bag and cut a very tiny hole in the bottom, then drizzled the syrup across the frosted cupcakes. I put some waxed paper under the wire tins for this part of the process.
14. Add the remaining candies for garnish!
Bonus!
I saw this idea for packaging cupcakes on Pinterest a while ago and have been wanting to try it out. Could be a good way to give people homemade treats as gifts for the holidays!
1. Place decorated cupcake into a clear plastic tumbler.
Like one of these.
2. Wrap in a piece of plastic wrap.
3. Tie a bow with a piece of ribbon.
Enjoy!
My Grandmother's Pantry 