Fresh Apple Cake

Apples Win

As I mentioned in this post, it’s easy to tell from Grandma’s box which ingredients she relied on the most--grated carrots, raisins, dates, apples, and oatmeal. Of those five, the prize for favorite ingredient has to go to apples. Not only did Grandma use grated apples in just about everything, from puddings to breads to savory dishes, but she also had recipes for almost every type of apple dessert imaginable. Cards titled Apple Squares, Apple Bars, Apple Crumb Pudding, Apple Cake, and Apple Dumplings fill her box, and there are multiple recipes for several of those.  

For example, when I recently decided to try an apple cake for a family gathering, I had three recipes to choose from.

Of those three, one is more like a pudding because it’s served warm and topped with a sauce. The other two were traditional cakes, but they didn't have any instructions for frosting. I asked my mother if Grandma ever served a plain cake with nothing on it, and she said Grandma’s cakes were always frosted. Well then--that gave me permission to innovate. After looking around at some options, I went to social media for a vote.

 In my poll, I gave three choices--a brown sugar frosting I saw in this post from King Arthur Flour, a cream cheese frosting from Two Peas & Their Pod, and a sour cream frosting we use on zucchini cake. It’s delicious but relatively unknown. The vote was close, but cream cheese nosed ahead of brown sugar for the win. With that decided, I was ready to give this apple cake a try. 

How to make Fresh Apple Cake

The first order of business was to dice the apples. Grandma didn’t specify what kind to use, just that they be “raw,” so I went with a combination of tart Granny Smiths and sweet Honeycrisps. 

After peeling them, I used my favorite dicing tool to quickly chop them into equally sized pieces. 

The rest of the process was just as fast. I threw the eggs in with the apples, then added the sugar and oil. 

I then whisked the dry ingredients together and combined everything. 

 Pecans were the obvious choice for the generic “nuts” listed in the recipe because they were the only type that didn't give Grandma a stomachache. It's one of several ways she and I are alike.   

After folding in the pecans, I spread the batter into a greased pan and placed it in the oven. 

The aroma as the cake baked made the whole process worthwhile. However, the cake looked a bit too brown when I took it out. 

A slathering of frosting helped hide the dark parts, but I was concerned. Had I cooked it too long?

The only way to know was to taste it. 

The Verdict

First, let me say bravo to those who voted for cream cheese frosting. That tangy-sweet top layer was the perfect counterpoint to the dense and fruity cake underneath. The cake itself was moist to the extreme and chock full of texture from the chunky apples and pecans. The over-browning turned out to be more of a caramelization effect. It added a depth of flavor that tasted even better the next day.  Every family member who took a piece agreed: this cake is a keeper. 

To try this keeper for yourself, click on the link below the recipe card.