Bready or Not: Apple Cinnamon Cake
I mention every so often that apple pie is probably the favorite thing of both my dad and my husband. This apple cake now rates right up there, too.
This cake is easy to put together. The most time-consuming thing is peeling and chopping the apples. The cake bakes up dense, soft, and full of cinnamon and apple flavor.
One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s easy to parcel out leftovers–if you have any. Cut the cake into pieces, freeze each separately, wrap in waxed paper, and place in freezer bags or plastic containers. Thaw pieces in fridge, and eat them cold or warm up in the microwave or oven (the latter being the family preference).
This apple cake is great whenever. Serve it for breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’ll make your belly happy any time of day.
Modified from Apple Squares at Julia’s Album.
Bready or Not: Apple Cinnamon Cake
Ingredients
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, & chopped into small chunks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9×9 square pan with foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, toss peeled and chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the white sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream/yogurt, and vanilla extract until it's smooth. Add the eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is just mixed.
- Pour half the batter into the ready pan. Sprinkle half the apples evenly over the top. Pour the remaining batter, smooth it out, then add the remaining apples.
- Bake for about an hour. It will pass the toothpick test when done. Cool completely and store covered in the fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Appeltaart
I love my traditional Caramel Apple Pie recipe, but this deep-dish apple pie is something extraordinary! It uses a springform pan.
Brace yourself for a lot of pictures. This is one of those rare times when my end result looked exactly like the photo in the magazine.
It’s a photogenic pie, isn’t it?
This Appeltaart is as delicious as it looks, too. My husband and my dad are hardcore apple pie lovers. It’s probably one of their all-time favorite foods. This pie rated VERY highly for both of them.
The directions look long, but really, it’s not an intimidating pie. I know a lot of folks hate rolling out pie crusts–well, this is the recipe for you! You press most of the dough into the pan and then slice strips for the lattice on top.
The original recipe had raisins in it–which was blasphemous to my family. I omitted the raisins and added more cinnamon.
It would be easy to modify the recipe more. Add a drizzle of caramel or dulce de leche. Try adding some nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom. Or if the making the lattice top worries you, tuck that dough away for other purposes, and throw together a crumb topping. Or instead of cutting strips for the lattice, roll out the dough and use small cookie cutters shaped like leaves or other things.
Whatever you do, I bet you’ll be amazed at the Appeltaart. This will be the showcase for your holiday dessert table… and something special to make all year round.
Modified from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine; also online.
Bready or Not: Appeltaart
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into chunks (6 cups)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more as needed
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Instructions
Dough:
- In a bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add the butter and work it in until only pea-size pieces are visible.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and vanilla, then pour into the dry mix. Mix until the dough makes a ball. Form about two-thirds of the dough into one disk and remaining third of dough into another disk. Separately wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them until firm, about 1 hour.
Filling:
- Toss together the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Set aside but stir every so often as you make other preparations.
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 9-inch round springform pan by cutting parchment paper to fit the circle inside. Use butter or Pam to adhere the parchment in the pan, then fully grease the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan.
- Lightly flour a surface. Take out your large dough disk and roll it out. It's okay if it's fragmented. Take the pieces and press them into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle some flour over the dough.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the apple filling into the crust; you'll discard any leftover juice. Roll out the other dough disk to be about 1/4-inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into thick strips. Lay half of the strips over the filling, then do the other half crossing the other way. Press the edges of the strips into the crust at the sides.
- Lightly beat the egg and brush the lattice with the egg wash.
- Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and apples are tender when stabbed with a fork, about 1 hour 10-20 minutes. Check it at the 40 minute point and cover it with foil if it starts to look too dark.
- Let it cool on a wire rack until sides of tart pull away from pan, about 30 minutes. Unsnap the springform pan and remove the side circle; keep the appeltaart on the base for convenient serving. Let it cool for an least an hour before cutting in.
- OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Quick Apple Pie
I’m all about making goodies from scratch, but sometimes speedy shortcuts are the way to go. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, after all.
This apple pie comes together in about ten minutes. The big shortcut element is a can of pie filling. Mind you, I haven’t used pie filling in about a decade, and I was amazed at how much faster the process went. Peeling, coring, and slicing apples takes up time.
I used a Comstock apple caramel can. I did miss the firmer texture of fresh-cut apples, but the overall pie was just fine.
My husband described it as being “like a big oatmeal-apple cookie.”
I used my homemade crust recipe–shown below–but use a store-bought type if you need to. It’s holiday time. Time is precious.
Pie is precious, too.
Modified from Caramel Apple Crumble Pie at Averie Cooks.
Bready or Not: Basic Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, cold, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup ice water
Instructions
- Make dough hours in advance or the night before. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the cold butter cubes, and either use a pastry blender or pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the butter is pea-sized.
- Pour in the cold water and pulse/mix together until the dough forms a loose ball. I like to use my hands at this point. The dough may be sticky, but it will firm up well.
- Pour dough onto a floured surface. Divide into two balls and fallen them into discs. Wrap each disc in parchment paper, then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour before placing in pie dish, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Roll out the refrigerated dough into a 12-inch round. Press it into a 9-inch dish, trimming the excess and pinching the edges. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and freeze at least two hours before using, or keep frozen up to three months.
Bready or Not: Quick Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter half stick, melted
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional and to taste
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 21 ounce canned apple pie filling
- 9 inch frozen pie crust homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Set out the pie shell on a cookie sheet.
- In a large microwavable bowl, melt the butter. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt. Whisk in the egg until batter is smooth.
- Add the flour and oats until just combined, then gently fold in the apple pie filling. Pour everything into the pie shell; it will come up to the brim.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top has set. Allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Pie keeps for days, covered by foil in the fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies
Dessert. Breakfast. Brunch. Hunger. These are all good times to whip up these Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies.
This is kinda like a cross between an apple crisp and a pie. The apples are mixed into batter and then topped with layers of caramel and sweetened crumbs.
I confess, I didn’t measure the amount of dulce de leche I used here. The measurement below is a total guess. Really, get a squeeze bottle or an open jar and drizzle. Don’t worry about covering the whole surface.
The edges here bake up solid and chewy. The middle passed the toothpick test for doneness, but once it was cut into, it was still a little gooey. That was fine. I knew it was baked through. It’s just a pie-like consistency in the middle.
Serve this cold straight out of the fridge. Maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Or warm it up a touch in the microwave. These blondies are versatile. They can take many paths to end up in your happy belly.
Modified from Foodie Crush
Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies
Ingredients
For the blondies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 medium apples peeled and diced (1 1/2-2 cups)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup dulce de leche or caramel topping
For the strudel
- 5 Tablespoons cold butter chopped
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 X 8 inch pan (or 9 X 9 inch) pan with aluminum foil so that it hangs over the sides. Apply non-stick spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt in a medium size bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients. Add the apple pieces. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- Whip out a squeeze bottle or jar of dulce de leche or caramel. Drizzle over the batter.
- Combine the strudel ingredients in another bowl and chop together until the butter is mostly down to pea-size chunks. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. Lift the bars out by the overhanging foil and cut into bars. The edges will be crisper and more solid, while the center may be messier and sticky with caramel. It's all good.
OM NOM NOM.
Bready or Not: Apple Cake
I declare September to be cake month. Why, you ask? WHY? Because The Clockwork Dagger comes out in less than two weeks!
Cake! A different kind of cake every week! Jazz hands!
We start out with an absolute classic: apple cake. I’m from a family that happens to love apple pie. It’s the favorite of both my dad and my husband. They both rate this cake version quite highly as well.
From the baker’s perspective, this is a whole lot faster than pie. No fuss over making a crust ahead of time. I set the apples to look pretty in the cake pan. I mix up the batter. Bake. Done. That’s why I’ve made this more than once for breakfast or brunch.
This is a straightforward cake that isn’t heavy on the sweetness, and that’s why it’s great for morning or snack or dessert.
But this is CAKE MONTH. We eat cake whenever we darn well please.
Recipe modified from Grandmother’s Apple Cake
in Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier.
Bready or Not: Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb baking apples like Braeburn or Jonagold, 2-3 apples
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Melt the butter and set it aside.
- Cut a round of parchment paper to fit inside a nonstick 8-inch cake pan. Spray the pan with nonstick spray, place the paper inside, then spray again. (If you don't do all of this, slices of apple will stick when you flip it over. Trust me.)
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Wash, peel, and core the apples. Cut them in eighths and arrange over the bottom of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the eggs until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Add the melted butter and whisk again until blended.
- Pour the batter evenly over the fruit and bake for 40 minutes, until the top is set and golden brown.
- Let the cake settle on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a plastic knife or toothpick around the pan's edge to loosen it and flip the cake onto a plate. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Flip the cake again onto a serving plate, taking care not to squish the cake.
- Cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Trade Paperback & eBook
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-06-231384-3
ebook ASIN (Amazon): B00HLIYZ5U
ebook ISBN (Nook): 978-0-06-231385-0
Release: September 16, 2014
Amazon Barnes & Noble Powell’s Books-A-Million Poisoned Pen Changing Hands
Read MoreBready or Not: Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats in the Crock Pot
In recent years, we’ve been trying to eat more healthy stuff.
That means I’ve been trying more alternative grains like quinoa (okay), amaranth (bleh), and steel cut oats. What are steel cut oats, you ask? They are oats that haven’t been processed as much. They take longer to cook and they have more texture and more nuttiness to them.
That whole texture things means they are awesome when slow cooked in the crock pot.
It takes maybe ten minutes to throw everything together the night before. I don’t bother peeling the apples. Just chop, combine everything, put the lid on, close the pot.
In the morning, give it a good stir. Most of the liquid will have soaked it. It will be soft, though my crock pot creates some crunchy bits, too–which are my favorite, to be honest. Dish it up, and then add whatever topping you want– nuts (pecans are awesome), maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, more milk, more spices…
Keep the crock pot on “warm” and the slow-to-rise people can get their food, too!
Really nice thing? The leftovers. Stash them in the fridge, and for several days–maybe all week–you can scoop some out, zap it in the microwave, and go about your day.
Modified from Jamie Cooks It Up.
Bready or Not: Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats in the Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized apples cored, unpeeled, chopped
- 1 cup steel cut oats uncooked
- 3 Tb brown sugar packed, or substitute with xylitol and a drip of molasses
- 2 Tb butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 Tb ground flax seed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk or any kind of milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
Topping options:
- milk
- chopped nuts
- maple syrup/agave nectar/honey
- more spices
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray. Pour all ingredients (except the toppings) inside. Stir.
- Cover and cook on low for desired length of time, like 10 hours.
- Dish up oatmeal and add desired toppings.
OM NOM NOM all week long!
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