This mini upside-down apple crumble cake recipe was SO fun to make! The idea started when I saw cute little upside-down peach cobblers on Pinterest. I decided to experiment and create my own version with apples and a few other variations.
These mini cakes have several different layers. The base is a delicious, spongy cinnamon cake filled with tiny pieces of apples and includes buttermilk, keeping the cake extra moist. The middle layer is an oaty, sugary crumble that adds a nice chewy texture. The top layer has thin apple slices covered in sugar, butter and cinnamon. All of these layers are baked and then topped with a delicious creamy glaze!
I know what you're thinking, that's a lot going on! Trust me, it's not as much work as it sounds! All of the different layers come together quickly--it shouldn't take more than 20-25 minutes to assemble. Plus, they bake for a short 20 minutes, so you don't have to wait long to enjoy them!
If you're looking for more fall-themed treats, make sure to check out these recipes as well:
Necessary Equipment Mini Apple Crumble Cake
This recipe calls for using JUMBO muffin tins, not regular-sized ones. I've used normal muffin tins for this recipe, and there wasn't enough room for all of the layers. If you don't already have jumbo muffin tins, I highly recommend getting some! These are the jumbo muffin tins that I use, and they work great.
If using jumbo muffin tins isn't an option, you can try using normal-sized tins with a few modifications. First, you'll make 24 mini cakes, rather than 12. Also, the top layer of apples may be too large, so you'll want to cut them thinner and also slice them in half. When filling the muffin tins, make sure not to fill them all the way to the top and don't let them overflow. Leave ¼ inch on top so they have room to rise without spilling over the edge. With the amount of batter this recipe makes, this tends to only be a problem with normal muffin tins, not the jumbo ones.
Mini upside-down apple crumble cake has quickly become one of our family's new favorite desserts! With the delicious combination of soft and chewy textures, plus the perfect pairing of apples and cinnamon, it's hard not to love these.
I am a big fan of mini desserts, and here are a few of my other favorites:
Mini Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake
If you try out this mini upside-down apple crumble cake recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.
Now get baking, and enjoy!
Ingredients
Apple Topping
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 6 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced into thin slices (about 16 slices per apple)
Oat Topping
- 1 cup whole rolled oats
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Cake Batter
- 2 cup finely diced granny smith apples, peeled (about 2 apples)
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided (half for the apple chunks)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F, and apply cooking spray generously to 2 jumbo muffin tins (12 muffins total). Set aside.
- Apple Topping: Peel two apples and slice into 16 slices each (32 slices total). In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the lemon juice and melted butter, then mix well. Toss the apple slices in the mixture until well coated, and then add 2-3 apple slices to each jumbo muffin tin and press into the bottom.
- Oat Topping: mix together rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Then mix in the melted butter. Evenly divide the oat topping into each of the muffin tins and lightly press down to make room for the cake batter.
- Cake Batter: In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Mix on medium speed until completely combined. Peel two apples and dice into small pieces (about ¼ inch cubes). Toss in a small bowl with one teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and cornstarch. Add the dry ingredients to the standing mixer and mix on lowest speed until there aren't any pockets of flour. Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula.
- Bake: Evenly distribute the cake batter in the muffin tins. Smooth over the batter with a knife so that it's even. Bake for about 20 minutes. Once a toothpick comes out clean from the cake batter, they're done. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes in the tin.
- Removing the Cakes: Slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake inside the tins to ensure no edges will stick. Place the cooling rack upside down on top of the muffin tins, and then flip both over together. Shake the tins a little to make sure all the cakes separate from the tins. If enough cooking spray was used, all of the cakes should come out together. If some apples are stuck to the bottom of the pan, just remove them with a fork and place back on the cakes.
- Prepare the Glaze: mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream together in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the cakes. Best served warm. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Turned out so cute. Delicious too