Slice of life: Apple cake

The search for the perfect recipe

By Eileen Goltz

Issue of Sept. 26, 2008

One of the fun Rosh Hashanah minhagim includes eating honey with apples, in the hope of sweetness in the coming year.

While I’m a big fan of the raw apple, I’m forever trying to find the perfect apple cake and pie recipe. Why? you ask. Well, for me, there is a taste that comes close to culinary nirvana with the combination of cinnamon, apples and nuts in a cake or pie (sort of like the feeling you get when you eat chocolate but not quite the same).

I’ve tried using all types of apples in my apple coffee cake recipes, frosted triple layer apple cakes and non-dairy non-egg apple cakes (one of my all-time worst eating experiences, so rest assured I’m not sharing that recipe). What I’ve come up with is an assortment of moist, flavorful and fun recipes that while similar, are actually quite different in taste and texture. None are the one, better than all the rest; however, all are pretty darn close to ideal.

While I love all the following recipes, for me the search for the perfect apple cake for the high holidays still continues. I know it’s out there. I just have to keep making them (and eating them) to find it. Don’t be alarmed at the amount of baking time some of the recipes call for. Many apple cakes are dense and very moist and require at least an hour for the cake to cook properly.

P.S. Any reader who thinks their apple cake recipe is the “IT” recipes is welcome to send it to me at eztlog@hotmail.com. This is my recipe collecting e-mail address.

CINNAMON APPLE CAKE (dairy)

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup stick butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups chopped peeled Rome or Granny Smith apples (about 2 large)

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Place the apples in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon mixture to the apple in a bowl. Mix to coat and then stir the apple mixture into the batter. Pour the batter into an 8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely before trying to cut. It’s best to use a serrated knife and a sawing motion when cutting this cake Serves 10 to 12.

LYLA’S CARAMEL FROSTED APPLE CAKE (dairy or pareve)

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples (2-3 apples)

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom only of 13x9” pan and set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine all ingredients except apples and pecans. Beat on medium speed until batter is smooth, 2-3 minutes. Stir in apples and pecans by hand. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; or until cake springs back when lightly touched with fingertip. Cool completely on wire rack.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk or non dairy substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

In large saucepan, melt butter and add brown sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil and stir for 1 minute until thickened. Remove from heat and add milk. Beat with wire whisk until smooth. Add vanilla and beat again. Then add enough powdered sugar until of desired spreading consistency; the frosting should be pourable. Pour frosting over cake and spread to cover. Let cool and serve. Makes approximately 2 cups.

APPLE FRITTER CAKES (dairy or pareve)

1 envelope active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (100-110° f.)

3/4 cup milk or non dairy substitute, scalded

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 egg

2 cups peeled, chopped apples

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons hot water

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer combine the hot milk, margarine, sugar and salt. Let stand until margarine melts. Beat in 1 cup flour. Add yeast mixture, cinnamon and egg, beating until combined. Beat in remaining flour to make a sticky dough.

Turn dough onto a floured board and knead 5 to 10 minutes, until soft and elastic, adding additional flour if necessary. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise about 11⁄2 hours, until doubled in bulk; or cover and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Bring dough to room temperature before continuing.

Punch down dough and divide the dough into thirds. Shape one-third of dough into a flat disc. Chop roughly with a sharp knife to make cuts across the dough. Place one-third of the apples on top and then knead the apples into the dough. When the apples are fully incorporated cut the disc into 6 pieces and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and apples. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350.

Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden. While still warm, drizzle with glaze made by stirring together powdered sugar and water. When cool, store in plastic bags.

APPLE AND CRANBERRY HONEY FRIED PIES (pareve)

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh cranberries (you can use thawed frozen cranberries or dried cranberries).

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts or frozen ones, defrosted or your own recipe

oil

1 tablespoon sugar

In a sauce pan combine the apples,  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, cranberries, sugar, honey and salt. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat and then reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until the apples are tender. Cool completely, and drain.

Roll pie crusts to 12-inch circles; cut each crust into 9 (4-inch) circles.

Spoon 1 level tablespoon fruit mixture onto half of each pastry circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over fruit mixture, pressing edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork dipped in flour.

Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch into a large heavy skillet; heat to 350°. Fry pies, in batches, 2 minutes on each side. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over hot pies.

Note: If you don’t want to fry these  pies, you can bake them instead. Place them on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 425. for 12 minutes or until golden and crispy.

CLASSIC APPLE COFFEE CAKE (dairy or pareve)

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk or non dairy substitute

1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan a 4-cup capacity. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a bowl, combine 1/3 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined. Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top. Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges. Serves 6.