I'm back! Lots of things have happened since my last blog post, including a tumble that kept me out of the kitchen for 3 months. Many columns have been written in my head - now its time to get them on-line.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons, food wise. Apples, pumpkins, pumpkin spice, holidays, warm cocoa - all the comfort tastes of home. Today I made an Apple Cake from King Arthur Flour's recipes that was a hit. KA is always a good choice for recipes and good baking information as well as great products. (kingarthurbaking.com)
APPLE FRITTER CAKE
Ingredients:
Filling & topping:
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Instant ClearJel or KA unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large apples, diced, about 3 ½ cups
Cake:
2 ¼ cups KA unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup milk, at room temperature
Glaze:
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 ½ - 3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8” square pan and line with parchment paper
2. To make filling and topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon, and ClearJel or flour. Add the diced apples and stir to coat; set aside.
3. To make the cake: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and spice. Add the butter and mix until the mixture is sandy looking.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions as needed.
5. With the mixer running at low speed, add the milk and vanilla. Once the milk is absorbed, scrape the bowl and mix at medium-high speed for 1 minute.
6. To assemble the cake: spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Spoon half the apple mixture over the batter and press in lightly. Spread the remaining batter over the apples and spoon the remaining apples on top.
7. To bake the cake: Bake the cake for 60-65 minutes. The cake is done when a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before gently tipping it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.
8. To make the glaze: Combine the glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Notes from my baking:
· I used large Red Delicious apples and 2 apples made 3 ½ cups.
· I peeled the apples. The recipe doesn’t specify, I think you could leave them unpeeled, the baking time would soften the peel.
· If your ingredients are in the fridge and you’re ready to bake now, let the eggs set in hot water for a few minutes and warm the butter and milk in the mwo for 20 seconds or so.
· The KA website recipe lists baking in a loaf pan as an option. As I read the comments on the web, it seemed there is too much batter for this and it overflows and/or takes a much longer time to bake.
· I added a little more cinnamon to the batter and some apple pie spice to the glaze.
· I also checked the doneness with a food thermometer, most cakes are done at 120 degrees.
· Next time I make this I’m adding chopped pecans to the top layer of apple mixture.
· This was delicious with a cup of coffee. My family thought a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would be the perfect topping!
