I must have 50 recipes for apple cake; I think I collect them because nothing makes a kitchen smell more heavenly than baking a cake full of fragrant apples and cinnamon.
September is prime apple season, so pick up some of B.C.'s finest and bake your family a delicious treat for dessert tonight.
EASY CRANBERRY AND APPLE CAKE
Another lovely recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.
12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 + 1 ?8 tsp ground cinnamon, divided use
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest and juice and one teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside. With an electric mixer, in another bowl beat the eggs on mediumhigh speed for two minutes; add one cup granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and sour cream and beat on medium speed just until combined. On low speed slowly beat in flour and salt. Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate; pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining one tablespoon of sugar and 1 ?8 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean and fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes six to eight servings.
APPLE CAKE WITH CARAMEL GLAZE
Yes, there's a lot of butter and sugar in this recipe, but it makes a big cake.
1½ cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½" dice
2¼ tsp vanilla
Caramel Glaze (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on mediumhigh, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, three to five minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. With a wooden spoon gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture (batter will be very thick). Stir in the apples and vanilla. Scrape the batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan; bake until a tested inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cool while making the Caramel Glaze. Once glaze is ready, prick cake all over with a fork; pour on the warm glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 16 servings.
Caramel Glaze:
4 Tbsp butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup whipping cream
Pinch of salt
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add both sugars and the salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Cook for two more minutes, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Let cool slightly before pouring over cake.
APPLE GINGERBREAD UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Topping:
4 Tbsp butter
½ cup dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼" wedges
Batter:
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 ?3 cup molasses
1 ?3 cup liquid honey
1 cup buttermilk
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Softly whipped cream to garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease a 10-inch round cake pan.
Make the topping: In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat; add the brown sugar and simmer, stirring, for four minutes, then stir in salt. Remove from heat and pour into bottom of cake pan. Place apple slices in overlapping circles on top of the caramel; if you have any leftover slices chop them and fill in the gaps.
Make the batter: With an electric mixer, in a large bowl blend together butter and sugar on medium-low speed; increase speed to high and cream mixture until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, molasses, honey and buttermilk. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Alternate mixing the flour and molasses mixtures into the butter mixture, incorporating each addition well before adding the next. Pour the batter evenly over the apple slices in the cake pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then turn the cake onto a platter (hold platter firmly over cake pan and very quickly invert as the caramel will be runny). Serve warm with softly whipped cream. Makes eight servings.
