Apple and lemon cakes

No inspiration for today’s post. Not one ounce of it. But please do not let that keep you from baking these cakes: they’re delicious and oh, so tender.

Apple and lemon cakes
adapted from Donna Hay’s apricot cakes

125g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) granulated sugar + a little extra for sprinkling
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 eggs
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 large apple

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter six 1-cup (240ml) capacity mini cake pans.
Place butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the juice, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the mixture in the bowl and stir to combine.
Divide batter equally among the prepared pans.
Slice the apple in half, remove the core and seeds, then slice each half in 9 thin wedges. Arrange 3 slices over each cake. Sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool in the pans, over a wire rack, for 15 minutes, then carefully unmold. Cool completely over the wire rack.

Makes 6