Apple custard teacakes

A few weeks back the Australian Womens’ Weekly had a recipe for a Raspberry Custard Teacake in it. I made it. Three times. It was good but there was something lacking. Or actually more annoying for you see, the custard, it kept sinking. I knew it would, you could see it in the photos in the magazine but I didn’t want it to sink, I wanted it through the cake.

So I mulled on it a while.

And then, in making something else from the magazine’s cookbook 1000 Best Ever Recipes from AWW I came across a recipe for apple custard cupcakes. With some tweaking (the apple coming from its apple pie slice rather than plain sliced apple) I have found it. The best cupcake ever. EVER!

Use a traditional sized cupcake tray, not a muffin tray. I have also made it as a cake by doubling it all but it was a bit tricky and I burnt the crap out of the bottom of it as it – obviously – needs a while to cook through. Next time I’d probably make it as a slab cake rather than round tall cake.

Apple Custard Teacakes

1000 Best Ever Recipes from AWW

The cake

  • 90g butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup SR flour
  • 1/4 cup custard powder
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • Topping:
  • 30g butter, melted
  • 1 tblsp caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

The apple (you’ll only use about half of this in the recipe but mmm stewed apples, put the leftovers on your brekkie – unless you have eggs, because that’d be gross)

  • 6 medium apples (just under 1kg), peeled, cored, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sultanas
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind

The custard

  • 1 tbsp custard powder
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
To make the custard:
  1. Mix the custard powder and sugar with the milk and vanilla
  2. In a small saucepan stir over heat until the mixture boils and thickens
  3. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, cover the surface with clingwrap and cool
To cook the apples:
  1. Cooke apples, sugar, the water and sultanas in a large saucepan, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the apple is soft and the mixture is not too wet
  2. Stir in spice and rind and let cool.
To make the cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 180C and line 12 hole 1/3 cup cupcake (or small muffin) tray
  2. Beat the butter, sugar, extract, eggs, flour, custard powder and milk in a small bowl of an electric mixer until ingredients combined, then increase speed and beat until mixture has turned to a pale colour
  3. Spoon 1 heaped dessert spoon (approx) into each paper case (or divide whole mixture in half then distribute half into the paper cases)
  4. Top with a heaped teaspoon of apple mixture
  5. Top the apple with a heaped teaspoon of custard
  6. Top the custard with another heaped dessert spoon of cake batter – try and cover the custard, yes, a bit fiddly but worth it.
  7. Bake cakes for about 30 minutes
  8. Brush hot cakes with melted butter and sprinkle over combined sugar and cinnamon
Try to eat only one.