Every year we buy a ton of apples, and inevitably, some of them end up left in the back corner of the fridge. They don’t really go bad, since apples store fairly well, but they do lose some of their texture and tartness over time. That means it’s a good idea to use them for something like baking, where the heat and spices bring out the apple flavor and the texture doesn’t matter as much.
I’ve already done a bunch of apple desserts before, like apple fritters and apple hand pies, so I’m no stranger to the flavor profiles. Today’s recipe is basically just a simple cake batter, a bunch of chopped apples, and plenty of spices. Chopped pecans help give it some more texture and depth of flavor.
This is also a fairly small cake, and it’s made in a baking dish rather than a cake pan. Easy!
I will say, it’s definitely best the day you make it. It’s still fine day two, but it crumbles and falls apart more easily, and loses some of the moist and flavorful elements of the cake. Fortunately, since it’s a small cake, you and a couple of friends or family members can finish it off in a day if you like.
Give it a try!
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Equipment
- 9×9" Baking Dish
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour Sifted
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2½ Tsp Cinnamon Reserve ½ tsp
- 10 Tbsp White Sugar Reserve ½ cup
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Butter Melted
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Apple Peeled and chopped
- ½ Cup Pecans Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease your baking dish.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and ½ tsp of cinnamon. In another bowl, mix the remaining 2 tsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsp of sugar, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the ½ cup of sugar, the brown sugar, and melted butter, mixing to combine until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix. Finally, add in the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Add the pecans and apple chunks and finish mixing.
- Pour your mixture into your baking dish and spread it out. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, as much or as little as you like.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. It's hard to tell for sure when it's done, but try to find a section of cake to test. Note that the kind of apple you use makes a difference, and a juicier apple will take a bit longer to bake.
- Let cool and enjoy! Optionally, make a quick icing out of milk and powdered sugar to drizzle over the top.