It is apple picking season. We have been up to our eyeballs in a delicious array of beautiful fruit, and too tired from gathering it and impatient to make a pie. This apple cake rose to the occasion in spades. So delicious and simple, it is perfect for lazy people who really love apples.
Notice, no cinnamon here. No spice at all, really. The brown sugar and lemon are the only other flavors. I was a little nervous making it, thinking it sounded bland. Sometimes, I love being wrong. It was super tasty in an all apples all the time way.
I made it for an afternoon snack. We also had it for a late night snack, and breakfast in the morning. With a bit of whipped cream, it would make a lovely dessert after dinner, as well. Eat it all day; it is okay.
Old Fashion Fresh Apple Cake
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by The Moosewood Collective.
Download Old Fasion Apple Cake.
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups pealed and chopped apples, such as Mutsu, Macintosh, Rome, or Granny Smith
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 350º F, and grease and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the vanilla, and then the eggs one at a time. Beat until combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk in the salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the apples, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
When everything is well combined, pour the batter into your prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Once it has cooled, dust with powdered sugar or sereve with whipped cream.
(You might see mine collapsed a bit. This was how I found my baking powder has gone caput. If I had a lick of since, I would have done this little test before I made the cake. All is well that ends well. Its structural flaw did not take way from our enjoyment one bit.)
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