This scrumptious apple cake is loaded with fresh apples and infused with the sweet aroma of cinnamon; this apple cake is one of a kind experience of its own!
You already have had moist buttery cake many a times, but today’s recipe of apple cake is just going to take your cake experience to a very different level altogether, trust me! This apple cake proved to be a bundle of surprise pack for me once I took it out from the oven and sliced out the first piece. Honestly, in the beginning, I was little skeptical about baking a cake loaded with apple in it as I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to pull it through; but boy! I believe I found my new favorite cake of all time in this loaded apple cake which is infused with my favorite cinnamon flavor. To add extra crunch to the apple cake, the recipe called for some crunchy nuts like walnut or pecans or cashew. I used finely chopped cashews which complemented the fresh flavor of apple cake made from fresh apples.
Apple cake may not be as popular as apple pie, but it definitely deserves its own place. When you relish your warm apple cake with a dollop of softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you surely gonna feel like on could 9! The crunchy apples add softness to the apple cake whereas the nuts add extra crunch for that extra taste! These two things – apples and nuts – make a killer combination with each other; it takes a regular sponge cake and transforms it to a dessert extravaganza! Irrespective of you being an apple lover or not, this apple cake will absolutely win you over no matter what, I can bet on that!
This delicious apple cake is the perfect fall dessert when fresh apples are in abundance. If you have made enough apple pies & apple preserves and have been looking for something different, then this apple cake is just the right thing for you. Keep this apple cake recipe bookmarked which will come in handy post your next apple picking day out. Baking a cake at home is pure pleasure for me and when the cake is as good as this apple cake, then the experience become extra pleasurable. Making this apple cake involves some effort which, I agree, you may not have on weekdays. But when you have that extra time and some extra fresh apples, I urge you to give this a go and you will love yourself for it. Nothing can beat the bliss of seasonal fresh fruits which you can only get when they are in season, right?
While choosing fresh apples for your apple cake, you can go for any locally grown variety. The standard choices which you will find year-round are Granny Smith or Golden Delicious which have right amount of sweet-tartness and necessary stability for baking. Once the apples are baked in the cinnamon-laced batter, even the most severe apple-hater will fall for it! Cinnamon is the love of my life when it comes to baking desserts. I am simply in the awe of that sweet aroma of cinnamon and its potential to transform anything into superbly delicious! This holds true in case of this apple cake too! Bake it today and you can thank me later!
Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking.
- Apples – 3, large (about 500 grams)
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice – 1 to 2 tbsp
- All-purpose flour – 1 & ½ cup (195 grams)
- Granulated white sugar – ¾ cup (150 grams)
- Baking powder – 1 & ½ tsp
- Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
- Salt – ¼ tsp
- Unsalted butter – 6 tbsp (85 grams), melted and cooled to room temperature
- Eggs – 2, large
- Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
- Milk – 2 tbsp
- Raisins – ⅓ cup (50 grams)
- Cashew nuts – ¾ cup (75 grams), toasted & chopped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray with a non-stick cooking spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan and then line with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Place the cashew nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let it cool and then chop coarsely.
- Peel, core, and chop the apples into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 – 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Set aside.
- Take a large bowl and combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt [Skip the salt if you are using salted butter]. Add the melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract and milk and beat with a hand mixer until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the chopped cashews, raisins and chopped apples.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 – 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Serve your apple cake warm with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Reheat before serving.
Looks awesome…I must try this 🙂