Brimming with apples and warm spices, this simple, rustic cake is a blast of fall flavor. This tender, moist cake features sliced apples for texture and a honey-like apple cider reduction that adds richness and an intense tart apple flavor to balance out the sweetness of the cake. Complete with a creamy apple cider glaze, this cozy cake can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Ingredients
Apple Cider Cake
1 cup apple cider
3 large Granny Smith apples
1 whole lemon
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp salt
½ cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Cider Glaze
1 cup apple cider
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
Directions
Apple Cider Cake
Pour the first cup of apple cider into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to ¼ cup. Set aside to cool.
Peel and core the apples, and cut each apple into 16 slices (fewer slices if using smaller apples). Place the apple slices into a bowl of water with a whole lemon squeezed into it. Allow the apple slices to sit in the water for a few minutes, then remove and pat dry. (This will keep the apples from turning brown.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch square pan with vegetable shortening. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished cake out. Then grease the paper with shortening.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars until well combined.
With the mixer running, add the vanilla and one egg at a time beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add the cream to the cooled reduced cider.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the cream/cider mixture until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple slices tightly together with the outer edges facing up into the top of the batter. (See photo above.)
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and evenly sprinkle over the top of the cake.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 2 minutes, and then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and place onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Once cooled, cut the cake into nine squares.
Cider Glaze
(Don’t make the glaze too far in advance because it will harden slightly.)
Place the second cup of apple cider into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to two tablespoons. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add the reduced cider along with one tablespoon of cream or milk and stir together. Add the second tablespoon of cream or milk a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. (It should be thick, but runny enough to drizzle off the end of a spoon.)
Drizzle the glaze over each cake square, letting it run down the sides.
The cake is best served warm with vanilla ice cream. Since the cake is very moist, store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Comments