Almond cakes with sugared apple icing

I went to the movies last weekend and what a big disappointment it was: what seemed to be a very interesting idea was completely ruined and became a silly, silly movie.

I got home and felt like baking a cake - to avoid getting disappointed again, I used one of DH’s recipes and the result was a batch of adorable little cakes with a delicious apple scented icing.

Almond cakes with sugared apple icing
from Donna Hay magazine

½ cup + 1 tablespoon (127g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (162g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup (120ml) whole milk

Sugared apple icing:
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (162g) caster sugar
¼ cup (60m) clear apple juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; butter twelve ½ cup (120ml) capacity muffin pans.
Place the butter, caster sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well. Sift the flour, almond meal and baking powder over the butter mixture and mix in low speed to combine. Fold through the milk. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans and bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden and cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the sugared icing, place the sugar in a bowl and gradually add the juice, mixing, until you get the desired consistency.
To serve, spoon the sugared icing over the cakes – do it as close to serving time as possible.

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe above, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans and got 7 cakes