Little Apricot Cakes

These little cakes are a perfect picnic or trail snack. They are not very sweet, and the apricots add a bite of tartness. Also try plums, cherries, or berries.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest or ¼ teaspoon lemon oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup whole milk
  • 2-3 apricots halved, pitted, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until combined.
  3. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
  4. Divide batter among muffin cups (cups will be only ⅓ full) and smooth tops. Top with apricot slices and sprinkle with raw sugar.
  5. Bake until cakes are golden and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let pan cool 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack and let cool completely.