Apple of Your Eye

The apple is one of the most versatile culinary fruits at a cook’s disposal. Cakes, pies, crisps, sauces, butters, and tarts are just a few of the delicious treats that this versatile fruit can be turned into. Additionally, the process of picking apples in the crisp and enjoyable weather of late fall can be the perfect activity for family and friends. My family has a tradition of going to the same apple orchard every year to pick apples – we reap the benefits of our harvest afterwards by using all of them for baking and eating. The apples we pick are a variety called Cortland, known for their sweetness. This is obviously desirable for baking recipes. This is what they look like (see image below):

The following recipe is simple, delicious, and elegant. The finished product resembles a French apple tart. Here is how to use everything to create this delicious Apple Cake.

Apple Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 to 4 tart apples

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and overlap parchment paper so the pan is completely covered. Make sure both sides of the parchment are buttered so that batter does not stick anywhere.
Peel, core, and slice 3 or 4 good-sized apples. Make sure the apples are sliced thinly. Then, place the sliced fruit in a mixing bowl, along with 1/3-cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add the juice of ½ of a lemon. Stir the apples to coat with lemon juice and the sugar-spice mixture. Let the fruit and sugar macerate while you complete the final steps.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat the butters and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Finally, beat in the flour mixture until well-combined.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared baking pan with a spatula. Arrange the apples in decorative and “shingled” look for elegance. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

I cannot think of a better way to simultaneously support local orchards AND produce delicious desserts like this one. Cheers!