Molten Caramel Apple Cakes

How was your Halloween?  Did you (or your kids) bring home a bundle of candy?  We had a surprisingly low amount of trick-or-treaters through our subdivision this year.  I think it was too cold and wet, as we were still dealing with the rain brought on by Hurricane Sandy.  I started handing out just one or two pieces of candy to each child, but about 15 minutes before I turned our light off, I started giving out handfuls!  And, I still have candy leftover!  C'est la vie...

Now that Halloween is over, I can focus on Thanksgiving...and then Christmas!  But how about Thanksgiving first?  Sometimes Thanksgiving seems to get skipped over, but we all have so much to be thankful for.  I think it's important to really set a day aside to be thankful for what we have (we should be thankful every day too!) 

The weather has drastically changed in the past week.  Last week we were setting records by how warm it was.  This week we've returned to fall weather and it's been cold, dreary, and blustery!  Of course, when it feels like fall I want to enjoy the tastes of fall too!  For me, that means lots of apple and pumpkin flavored foods.  I have a few more fall recipes coming up this month, and today I want to share these molten cakes.

I absolutely adore Molten Cakes.  I find it quite entertaining  to stick my fork into a cake and have a deliciously gooey center ooze out.   That was certainly the case for these Molten Caramel Apple Cakes.   Between the caramel and the apples, these cakes just scream fall!  Plus, because Mike and I can never eat an entire cake between the two of us, I was thrilled that this recipe makes just 2 single serving cakes.  Mike opted out of eating his (silly boy!) and so I enjoyed his cake for breakfast one morning!  Shhhh....don't tell!

Molten Caramel Apple Cakes

Serves 2

2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons flour
1 small apple peeled and chopped
Powdered Sugar

1.  Spray bottoms and sides of 2 8-ounce ramekins with baking spray. Sprinkle cracker crumbs onto bottom and around side of each cup.

2.  In large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk until well blended.

3.  Beat in brown sugar.

4.  Beat in caramel topping and flour until well blended.

5.  Stir in apple.

6.  Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet.

7.  Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft but not liquid (tops will be slightly puffed). Be careful not to over bake the cakes!

8.  Remove the ramekins from the cookie sheet. Let the cakes for stand 3 minutes before running a small knife along sides of cakes to loosen.

9.  Immediately place a plate upside down over top of each cup; turn the plate and cup over. Remove cup. Sprinkle cakes with powdered sugar.

Serve warm.

Source:  A Crafty Cook