Mini Apple Spice Cakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Spice Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s tough to choose between pumpkin and apple desserts when it comes to fall baking. I say why not bake up one of each? These Mini Apple Spice Cakes, topped with a rich Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, are the perfect addition to any fall breakfast or brunch. They are loaded with apple …

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Apple Spice Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s tough to choose between pumpkin and apple desserts when it comes to fall baking. I say why not bake up one of each? These Mini Apple Spice Cakes, topped with a rich Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, are the perfect addition to any fall breakfast or brunch. They are loaded with apple and warm spices, sure to be a hit on a cool fall morning.

The Mini Apple Spice Cakes are easy to make quick breads that only take a few minutes to put together. The batter includes both brown and white sugar, along with a generous amount of cinnamon, ginger and cloves to spice it up. I used shredded apple – not apple sauce – because it gives the breads a great texture, while helping keep them moist. You don’t need to peel your apples before shredding them, as any bits of peel will be small enough that you won’t notice them in the finished cake.

The cream cheese frosting is an optional topping for these cakes, but I really recommend it. The tangy cream cheese pairs very well with apples in all kinds of cakes, not just this one, and the cinnamon ties in nicely with those apple spices. You can add on a thin layer if you want to keep things simple, or dress them up with a swirling design like I did above to make these loaves particularly eye catching.

These loaf cakes are perfect for a fall weekend brunch or holiday breakfast. They smell amazing when they’re baking and are really packed with fall flavors. The mini loaves are big enough to stand out in a sea of muffins on a brunch platter, too. They’re big enough to share – but you can treat yourself to a whole one with a big mug of coffee or tea if you feel like treating yourself.

This is one recipe where I’ll whip up a double (or triple) batch to hand out as holiday treats to family who come over to visit – a great take home treat size. If you plan to give them away, look for single-use mini loaf pans that you can bake directly in, wrap up and pass out!

Mini Apple Spice Cakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup shredded apple (not applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease three 3×5-inch mini loaf pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by shredded apple and vanilla extract. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared mini loaf pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow loaves to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
5 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
1 – 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk. Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar until frosting is thick and spreadable.
Apply to cooled cakes.

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Candy Corn Scones

Candy Corn Scones
Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, candy corn is a fixture of the candy aisle during the Halloween season. It is one of the most popular – and most googled – candies of the season. I happen to fall on the “pro candy corn” side of the issue and enjoy both snacking …

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Candy Corn Scones
Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, candy corn is a fixture of the candy aisle during the Halloween season. It is one of the most popular – and most googled – candies of the season. I happen to fall on the “pro candy corn” side of the issue and enjoy both snacking on them and including them in seasonal treats. This recipe for Candy Corn Scones offers up an unusual way to enjoy this seasonal treat. It is a must-try for candy corn fans and just might convert a few foes, too.

The base here is a simple buttermilk and vanilla scone recipe. To achieve a flaky texture and a nice rise, butter is cut into a flour mixture, then buttermilk is stirred in to bind the dough together. The slight tang of the buttermilk creates a nice contrast with the sweet candy corn that are kneaded into the dough before baking.

The candy corn will melt during baking, turning into a colorful caramel on the baking sheet around your scones. Candy corn are not really designed to withstand the high heat of the oven, which is why they don’t keep their shape. That said, they still infuse the scones with a honey and vanilla sweetness, as well as leaving behind plenty of bright white, yellow and orange streaks. The candy corn that are on or near the surface of the scones will melt a bit more than the ones inside the dough, so feel free to tuck the candies away inside where they will remain more easily suspended in the scone.

These scones are fun to look at and fun to eat. The candy corn is sweet without making these cloying, and the buttermilk gives the scone dough a nice base. I do recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper to minimize sticking. Let the scones cool on the paper. Any candy corn that has melted will crystallize and the colorful shards can easily be broken off to release the scones before serving.

Candy Corn Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup candy corn

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add in the butter and toss to coat. Rub butter in with your fingertips or cut in with a pastry blender until butter is in pieces no larger than a pea.
In a small measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and vanilla extract. Pour into flour mixture, along with the candy corn, and stir until dough comes together in a coarse, not-too-sticky ball. If mixture is too dry, add in a teaspoon or two of milk. If mixture is too wet, add in a few teaspoons of flour.
Transfer ball of dough to a lightly floured surface, divide in half and shape each half into a square. Cut each square into quarters by making a diagonal cut from corner to corner. Place the triangles of dough on your prepared baking sheet, allowing room for them to spread slightly.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until golden and set.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Makes 8

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