Individual Apple Cakes [Seductive Aroma]

If I given a choice between fresh apple and orange, I will go for orange for sure. But when come to apple cake or anything baked with apple, I have never been able to resist it. I like the seductive aroma of baked apple with a hint of cinnamon.

Little J did not like apple cake that much when I baked for the first time sometime back, so I halved the recipe and baked individual cakes instead. He seemed liking it this time, and this little munching machine munched a lot left only one cake for me at the end. I am going to bake some more, soon. For myself.

Ingredients (5-6 pieces):
½ Fuji apple, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp fine granulated sugar
50g butter, room temperature
40g fine granulated sugar
1 no. large egg, break with a fork
50ml full cream milk
80g cake flour
½ tsp baking powder

Toppings:
½ Fuji apple, seeded and sliced thinly
½ tbsp fine granulated sugar
2-3 pinches of ground cinnamon

Methods:

1. Preheat oven at 170°C .
   
2. Rub chopped apple with sugar and cook till apple is softened. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter till creamy. Stir in sugar and continue to beat till colour turns pale.
4. While beating, add in egg in batches and beat till light and fluffy.
5. Sift together flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture, alternate with milk. Mix till just combined.
6. Stir in cooked apple together with the liquid.
7. Transfer batter into paper cases, arrange apple slices on the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on rack.

Cook's Notes:

1. The size of paper cases I used was about 3" (bottom diameter) x 1" (side wall).
2. I filled the cases 80% full but I think 70% will have better presentation and no worry of over flow.
3. I used one large Fuji apple, that was what I had in the fridge. If using small apple, two will be good.