Saturday, September 19, 2009

German Apple Cake

One of my pleasures of fall is abundance of fresh apples. This crunchy, juicy, sweet-tart relative of the rose, is available year 'round, but to me there's just nothing like an apple plucked fresh from branches, bowing heavily, with this wonderful, versatile fruit. Apple pies and cakes, apple butter, cider, jams, apple sauce, apple chutney, tarts, dumplings (and even as an ingredient in my turkey stuffing) ...oh, I love them all!! And yes, in my younger days, I was even seen sipping Boone's Farm apple wine.

To start my apple celebration, I wanted to make you this German Apple Cake. It's one of my beloved recipes from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. Be prepared to dirty up several bowls as ingredients are mixed separately from others and then added, but to me the kitchen clean up is worth the effort. Apple-y, cinnamon-y goodness in a moist cake makes it all worthwhile. So perfect for a weekend breakfast sweet. Stays fresh for a couple of days when it's well covered.

German Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan (could even use a spring form pan if you wished) and set aside.

Apple Filling

3 large apples, peeled and sliced as if for a pie
lemon juice (optional, but nice to aid in prohibiting sliced apples from browning)
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Batter

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup apple juice (milk can be substituted, but use the apple juice if you have it)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Prepare the apple filling first: Pare and thinly slice the apples (as for an apple pie). Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon but do not add to the apples. Set aside.

Make the batter: Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the sugar and oil and beat for 2 or 3 minutes, until creamy in appearance.

In another, small bowl, beat the eggs until light. Add the juice (or milk) and the vanilla, mixing well. Add to the sugar and oil and beat thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (but not the apples) and gently fold together.

Putting it all together: Pour one third of the batter into your pan. Add a thick layer of apples and generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Repeat layers again, ending with a layer of batter. If you really like cinnamon, lightly sprinkle the top with a little more cinnamon.

For a bundt pan or a tube pan, bake for 50-60 minutes.

For the springform pan, bake for 60-70 minutes.

I use a tube pan that has a dark coating, and sometimes my baked goods cook will cook too fast on the outside and the center hasn't had time to catch up. (Dark bakeware can cause heat to absorb too fast on the outside, leaving cakes with an unsightly hump in the middle, which is why I tossed out my dark cake tins and purchased the lighter aluminum alloy. No more humps! However, I haven't made the switch yet on all my baking pans.) I covered with a piece of tinfoil to continue baking without further browning.

45 comments:

  1. This apple cake looks so delicious Katy and I will be baking this soon. I love this time of year when the apples are fresh, crisp and in abundance.

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  2. I love apples too katy and your's looks just perfect. I have to try this.I have a new bundt pan, may be i should inaugurate it with your recipe..what say?

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  3. I LOVE apples too Katy. It looks soooo tasty, perfect for afternoon tea :) ... Thank you for sharing... I am going to make it for sure !

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  4. Katy, your cake looks perfect! You've just inspired me to make my own version of apple cake. I hope it will look as great as yours!!!

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  5. You know why I like this cake Katy dear? Cause you did NOT GOB ICING all over the top of it. It is gorgeous just the way it is! Oh I love it. Sniff sniff...oh grin...I am sad I can't have a piece but the sniffing is due to a cold...grin. Take care my southern friend....I'll make sure not to sneeze 'south'...grin!

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  6. I also love apple baked goods! The cake looks gorgeous.

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  7. There is nothing like fresh apples! Oh this cake sounds just amazing...I would love it and I know my husband would too...cause he is German and grew up around hundreds of acres of apple orchards!

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  8. Boy what a beautiful cake!! Looks like it came out of the pan beautifully. VERY nice photo too!!!

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  9. Great use of the fresh fall apples. I cant wait to pick some and bake up some goodies myself. This cake looks perfect!!

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  10. I love apple season for all the reasons you mentioned! The cake looks incredibly delicious!! What a treat.

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  11. Oh boy Katy did you bring back a memory, Boones Farm Apple Wine!!! It use to be a dollar a bottle and I use to partake as well!! LOL!!! You hit my soft spot, apples. I love them, as a matter of fact I there's a bag full sitting in my fridge waiting to be used, hopefully this week. Thanks for the kind words Katy, you are a sweetheart!

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  12. This looks so delicious! What a gorgeous photo...look at those insides...YUM!

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  13. Yes! apple with cinnamon~~always goes well hand in hand :D

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  14. Apples are one of the best parts of autumn!

    Your cake looks wonderful! I made an apple pie today. I haven't made one in many years. :0)

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  15. What a perfect cake for fall. It looks gorgeous. High and light and exceedingly delicious.

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  16. There is nothing better than fall, apples and cinnamon! What a wonderful combo...and the aroma wafting through the house....

    Please let the cool weather come!

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  17. Apple cake is one of my favorite parts of fall too. We smother ours with an orange butter glaze and yummmm.......

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  18. Oh yep....autumn....nuts, apples, pumpkin and cinnamon..that's how see the autumn....
    This apple cake looks perfect!

    Angie's Recipes

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  19. Katy, thanks so much for reminding me about this recipe. I went apple picking yesterday - and now I know where some of those apples will go! PJ Hamel, King Arthur flour baker/blogger

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  20. This cake definitely looks like a keeper. Great use of apples! The apple orchards in Hendersonville are full of ripening apples right now. We just went to an apple festival.

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  21. This cake looks like fall on a plate!

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  22. Mmmm. This looks delicious. I love that apple filling. I can see why you love this cookbook if the other recipes are this good...

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  23. the wonderful smell that this cake would produce is reason enough to dirty several bowls. what a perfect fall treat!

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  24. Katy, love this cake. I love the way it looks (texture) inside! Sounds delicious!

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  25. Katy your cake looks so gorgeously perfect. I really enjoys apples in the fall to. i am going to give this one a try!

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  26. I make every apple cake recipe I find. The perfect one is still elusive although they all have been good. Will this be the perfect one?

    I first have to make cookies for Sweet Thursdays. Her deadline for any cookies is the 24th.
    http://simplysweethome.blogspot.com/ It is her anniversary also and she is giving away loads of prizes. Check her out. You might win something and get great recipes.

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  27. You always have such unique recipes and that's why I like it over here at your blog :) This sounds lovely Kathy!

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  28. This cake looks to be a great way to enjoy apples! Thanks for sharing :)

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  29. I can't wait to see my apple tree giving me yummy apples! Gorgeous cake!

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  30. The cake looks so uniform and moist..perfect!

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  31. Looks delicious Katy! I love finding new recipes for apple cake since it's one of my favorites!

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  32. Just beautiful! I'll bet it's delicious too.

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  33. What a great fall dessert! Apple season is almost here and I can't wait. I love all the yummy apple desserts and recipes.

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  34. what a perfectly delicious way to start fall cooking, Katy! This beautiful cake looks luscious and it will be perfect with a cup of coffee. I'm always looking for new recipes for my favorite apples, so thanks!

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  35. You can see how moist it is , it looks awesome. And I love how pantry friendly it is.

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  36. Hi! I have got some awards for you, kindly take them from my blog.

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  37. Oh I think the dirtying of the dishes would well be worth it. It looks fantastic Katy.

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  38. Perfection!!! Katy, I would love a slice your cake right about now.

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  39. Your photo is a crowd pleaser and I have a feeling, there will be a lot of apple cakes baking soon. This is a yum dish.

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  40. This is another one the kids especially one of the twins would love! I'm thinking some caramel sauce would send it over the moon.
    ~ingrid

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  41. Hi Katy,
    Have I ever told you how much I adore German Apple Cake? Well, I do:) Now, if I could only hone my baking skills. I'm going to save this recipe, just in case:) Thanks for sharing, it looks so fragrant even thru my screen:) Thanks for sharing...I just had to share the link in my Johnny Appleseed post today. I hope you don't mind...

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  42. I'm so glad you posted this! I've been thinking about making an apple cake, but didn't have a recipe. This one looks delicious!

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  43. Apple cake is the perfect fall dessert and one of my faves. Looks delicious!

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  44. Your cake looks absolutely delicious!

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