Sour Cream Apple Cake

I was looking for a recipe to use up some sour cream left over from Thanksgiving. I finally found one but . . . my husband can't eat nuts and the recipe needed the pecans to work well. It called for using a Bundt pan and mine is ancient and always sticks. I did like the basic cake part of the recipe so improvised! Since it turned out good, I'm sharing it with you! I was the first to make it  and you can now be the second one to enjoy it warm from the oven! The first sour cream cake recipe I posted was good but I might like this one even better.

Sour Cream Apple Cake
1 cup butter (NOT margarine!), softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup full-fat sour cream

Filling
2 large apples, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon brandy
Zest and juice of one lemon

Crumb Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup solid shortening

Prepare the apples and set aside for now. Blend together the ingredients for the Crumb topping. It should be crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray an approximately 13x9-inch baking pan or two smaller ones. You could also do this recipe as cupcakes, too.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the extracts. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream and blend well without over beating.  Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan(s). Top with the apple mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping over that. Depending on the size pan(s) you used, bake for approximately 45-60 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. If wet batter sticks to it, give it a few more minutes.

The cake tastes good hot with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature with a generous serving a freshly whipped cream.

You can add 1/4 cup of ground nuts to the topping mixture, if you wish.

Fresh Apple Cake

I used this recipe for cupcakes today but it would work for a sheet cake, too. I like that it can be mixed in one bowl and in the oven quickly. There is a little prep work for the apples but isn't that what teenage children are for??

Fresh Apple Cake . . . or Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

3 heaping cups of peeled and diced apples
1 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Either line cupcake pans with papers or vegetable oil spray and line the bottom of a 11 x 13-inch (or there abouts!) with parchment paper.

Place all of the first group of ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until just combined. If the batter is too dry, add drops of milk until it reaches the proper consistency.

In another bowl, combine the second group of ingredients. Fold the apple mixture into the batter and put into your prepared pan(s).

Depending on the pan(s) used, baking for approximately 15-25 minutes or until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in a wire rack.

The cake goes well with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you want it simple, ice with a thin lemon glaze.

German Apple Cake

I've seen so many versions of this recipe over the years and I imagine everyone who comes across it has added their tweaks and changes. I'm no exception! Everyone has their own tastes and bake according to that. This cake is a fantastic dessert but isn't bad with a cup of coffee when you get up in the morning. Cake for breakfast? Hey, it has flour like in bread, and fruit. It's just toast and fruit put together a little differently!

German Apple Cake
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 eggs
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tart, green apples (Peel and slice thinly)

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add everything except the apples and mix thoroughly. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Layer with apples and half the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter and arrage the apples on top. Sprnkle on the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 mintues to an hour and a half depending on your oven. Cake should be cooled completely before serving.

Apple Spice Pound Cake

Following in the apple/Fall/cooler weather theme, here is one that will scent your house wonderfully and cause everyone to clean their plates at dinner in order to get a slice of this cake!

Apple Spice Pound Cake
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups apple; peeled, cored & finely diced (tart, green apples work best.)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Mix sugar and oil, add eggs and beat well. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to beaten egg mixture. Stir in vanilla, apples, spices, and walnuts. Mix well. Spoon batter into a greased tube pan. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before removing from pan.

As promised - Apple Cake with Streusel

My local tasting committee aka family gave a hearty thumbs up to this recipe last night. As promised, given their recommendation, I will post it for anyone who would like to add it to their recipe collection.

Apple Streusel Cake

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped apples (green pie apples work best for me)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of cloves
1/2 stick melted butter

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cukp granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 baking pan or two smaller ones.

In a bowl combine the brown sugar, apples, flour, spices, lemon juice and butter. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda & powder. Set aside.

In yet another bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla, orange juice and flour and beat until just smooth - don't overbeat. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the apple mixture so that it covers the cake batter. Bake at 350degrees for approximately 35-40 minutes. The topping should be just set. Cool on a rack.

The cake portion is less sweet than what you might be used to but it really brings out the apple topping.

Apples!

One of my favorite cooking ingredients is apples. I love to made fresh apple sauce with pork, incorporate them into muffins, make pies, and fresh cookies. Again, I'm sharing a favorite recipe. It is a rather dense but delicious cake that goes well about mid afternoon between lunchtime and the start of dinner preparation. You know, the time you need to regroup and reenergize? A cup of coffee wouldn't go amiss, either!

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups thinly sliced apples
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375̊.

In a large bowl, mix first seven ingredients and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples and walnuts until just blended.

Spread batter evenly in lightly greased 13" by 9" baking pan. Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Place cake on cooling rack.

When barely warm, drizzle lemon icing over it. Combine one cup of powder sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thin glaze.