Easy-as-Pie Apple Cake
Published December 1, 2015
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 cup/125 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, more as needed
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces/57 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), softened
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
2 cups diced apples (from about 2 apples)
½ cup/57 grams toasted pecans, chopped (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
42 grams carbs; 38 milligrams cholesterol; 279 calories; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 109 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 28 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Step 2
In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the egg and mix until smooth.
- Step 3
With the mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients until smooth (at this point the batter will be quite thick). Fold in the apples and nuts by hand.
- Step 4
Spread batter evenly into a greased and floured 9-inch fluted tart or quiche pan with 1-inch sides. (Alternatively you can use a 9-inch cake pan with 1-inch sides.) Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
This recipe appeared in one of my grandmother's community cookbooks (and I'm no youngster, so it's an old recipe). It's about the only cake I make. I make it with apples, pears, rhubarb, plums, blobs of ripe hachiya persimmon; I use different spices and sometimes cocoa; I use olive oil in place of butter; I add up to half of different flours. It's a wonderful recipe.
In name of all of us from the Old World, I would like to thank the author of this recipe for adding the amounts in grams. All hail universally understandable measurements!
"...a greased and floured 9-inch fluted tart or quiche pan..." is round. That's not the same as a 9" square pan which is 81 sq. in. The area of a 9" round pan is ~63.5 sq. in. An 8X8 pan has almost the same area as a 9" round pan.
Just put in oven and looks excellent. I reduced sugar a bit as suggested (scant one cup) and dusted top with a little sparkling sugar, I put the butter, egg sugar, butter, spice and vanilla mixture in my KitchenAid, but added the flour mixture, apples and nuts (that were toasted )by hand with big wooden spoon. It was not that hard to mix. The dough was thick, but just scooped it up with my hands into pan, which was a fluted edged 9 inch x 1inch one. I think that this is a European recipe which probably could be called a torte. Initially baking it for 36 min with checking. Ended up baking it for 42 min, but hey ovens vary. Hoping to add to dinner party menus and even for the hot meals for the needy I bake for. In both cases it helps that people here claim it improves with age and can be made ahead. Yay. Happy to add this to my repertoire.
This is a favorite. But I mix the spices with the flour & leavenings. Added 1/4 teas. cloves today. 8” springform pan with buttered sides & parchment paper circle on the bottom worked well. Pretty enough for company. Thanks all!
Why not add the dry spices to the flour? I’ve added dry cranberries once to rave reviews. Crystallized ginger too, to equal praise. An ordinary pie pan is just perfect. Fabulous recipe; it’s become a family favorite.