by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Yield
8 servings
summary
What could be better than a homemade cake made for all-day snacking? With fresh apples and warm spices like cinnamon, this autumnal cake is perfect, especially if you have houseguests for the holidays. It is a lovely dessert, but also ideal with a cup of hot tea in the afternoon.
ingredients
- Cake Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced small
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Apple Topping Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Maldon sea salt and fresh whipped cream to serve
directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with softened butter and sprinkle with flour, shaking out excess.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine applesauce and milk. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and combine well. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again. Slowly incorporate the milk and flour mixtures, alternating a third of each at a time, until combined; do not overmix. Use a flexible spatula to fold in the diced apples and then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the apple spice cake until a toothpick comes out of the center clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.
- For the topping, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the apple slices neatly in the skillet and sprinkle with the sugar. As the sugar melts and the sauce begins to thicken, shake the pan to prevent apples from sticking or burning. When the sauce starts to caramelize, add the brandy, being careful not to ignite it. Keep shaking the pan so the apples are fully coated in the sauce. Garnish with walnuts and a few rosemary sprigs. Spoon over the cooled cake.
- To serve, cut the apple spice cake into slices and sprinkle each with a touch Maldon salt and a dollop of whipped cream.
notes
It really doesn’t matter what type of apple you use in this cake. Granny Smiths are ideal for baking, but you can use Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, etc.
If you don’t enjoy the texture of diced apples in your cake, you can also grate the apples.
