With a decent supply of apples in my produce drawer, I decided to try an Apple Coffee Cake recipe from Leite's Culinaria that was adapted from The Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier. Making the batter was straightforward. I beat softened butter with sugar until fluffy; added eggs, sour cream and vanilla; stirred in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and baking soda); and folded in chopped apples that had been tossed with lemon juice and cinnamon. I used one Granny Smith apple and one Gold Rush apple that I had neatly diced into small cubes; I ended up with 390 grams of apples in the cake.
I put half of the batter into a greased Bundt pan; sprinkled on a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans; and added the rest of the batter on top. The recipe warns that it will look like a lot of sugar-pecan filling, and it did look like way too much. The filling extended edge to edge in the pan and I was a little worried that having the filling in contact with the sides of the pan would cause the cake to stick. I was greatly relieved when the cake released effortlessly from the pan after baking.
The recipe includes a glaze made from cornstarch, apple cider, frozen apple juice concentrate, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. I had boiled cider on hand and considered using it in place of both the cider and the concentrate, but in the end I decided to skip the glaze because I wasn't sure if it would end up sticky. I'm doing most of my baked goods distribution these days via contactless pick up from a plastic bin on our front steps, so I've been sticking to items without frostings or glazes that won't create a mess when people transport their cartons of baked goods home, often on foot or by bike.
When I sliced the cake, I was impressed not only at the magnitude of the thick layer of pecan filling inside, but also the cake's integrity -- someone how the slices remained intact even through they were completed bisected by a substantial river of sugar and nuts. I don't think I've ever made a Bundt cake with this much filling before, but I fell in love at first bite. The generous amount of sweet pecan filling makes this cake so good.
The cake itself was moist and delicious on its own, but the amount of flavor and texture packed into the filling really makes this cake. I could clearly taste the apples and was glad that I had diced them instead of shredding them (which I had briefly considered) -- their texture was soft, but distinct. I loved this cake and would absolutely make it again. And next time I hope to try it with the glaze!
Recipe: "Apple Coffee Cake" from Leite's Culinaria, adapted from The Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier.
I put half of the batter into a greased Bundt pan; sprinkled on a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans; and added the rest of the batter on top. The recipe warns that it will look like a lot of sugar-pecan filling, and it did look like way too much. The filling extended edge to edge in the pan and I was a little worried that having the filling in contact with the sides of the pan would cause the cake to stick. I was greatly relieved when the cake released effortlessly from the pan after baking.
When I sliced the cake, I was impressed not only at the magnitude of the thick layer of pecan filling inside, but also the cake's integrity -- someone how the slices remained intact even through they were completed bisected by a substantial river of sugar and nuts. I don't think I've ever made a Bundt cake with this much filling before, but I fell in love at first bite. The generous amount of sweet pecan filling makes this cake so good.
The cake itself was moist and delicious on its own, but the amount of flavor and texture packed into the filling really makes this cake. I could clearly taste the apples and was glad that I had diced them instead of shredding them (which I had briefly considered) -- their texture was soft, but distinct. I loved this cake and would absolutely make it again. And next time I hope to try it with the glaze!
Recipe: "Apple Coffee Cake" from Leite's Culinaria, adapted from The Apple Cookbook by Olwen Woodier.
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