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apple cider

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake (#TheCakeSliceBakers)

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This is the last cake we’ll be baking in 2018 from The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen. And what a great cake cookbook it’s been! Our final selection from the book is our choice from any cake in the book and I chose the Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake.

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

I chose this cake because some of the other bakers in The Cake Slice Bakers had previously made it and it looked so, so good. And you know what? It is so very, very good.

That soft top is lightly soaked with the thick, candy-like glaze and when you invert the cake the top of the cake is now a moist and delicious bottom layer.

Here’s a photo of it right out of oven after it was glazed with the apple cider reduction:

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

Bret thinks the cake tastes like an old-fashioned apple cake (a compliment, not a complaint), but I think the texture is more tender and not as heavy. I liken it more to an apple fritter cake in a way. Simply delicious.

Besides the great texture, the shredding of the apples is genius. You get tart apples in every bite and I like that better than the bigger apple chunks (although chopped apples work well in my Fresh Apple Cake with Maple Glaze).

The apples along with the lightly spicy, tender cake make for a great cake. And that final apple cider glaze tops it off perfectly. I made about twice as much glaze because it completes the look and the deliciousness of the cake.

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

America’s Test Kitchen’s Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake is one of those cakes that I’ll make over and over, for pot lucks, special occasions, holidays, and just at home to eat for dessert or with coffee at breakfast.

When you make it, make sure and let the cake cool about 45 minutes before putting the final glaze on (they say 30 minutes, but I say more, please) or the glaze will just soak into the cake and not look as pretty.

Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Tender, lightly spicy apple cake soaked with an apple reduction and topped off with a sweet glaze. Perfection,

Ingredients

  • 4 1/4 C. Apple Cider
  • 3 3/4 C  (18 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 3/4 C (3 oz) powdered sugar
  • 16 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 C packed (10 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded (about 3 cups)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup nonstick bundt pan with baking spray with flour (if not using baking spray with flour, spray with regular baking spray and lightly flour the pan.)
  2. In a medium heavy-bottom pan, bring the cider to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to about 1 cup (20-25 minutes).
  3. While cider is reducing, in a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice together. Place the powdered sugar into a separate small bowl.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons of the cider reduction to the powdered sugar bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Set aside another 6 tablespoons of the cider reduction in a cup (for pouring over the baked cake, yum).
  5. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of cider reduction into a medium bowl; add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Pour this cider/butter mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until almost fully combined (don't worry if streaks of flour remain - you don't want to over-stir it or it won't be as tender). Stir in the apples and any juice they may have created until combined throughout the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake until a skewer (or piece of spaghetti) comes out clean with just a very few crumbs on it, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Rotate the pan half-way through baking.
  7. Transfer the baked cake to a wire rack that's sitting on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drippings). Brush the exposed surface of the cake lightly with 1 tablespoon of the reserved cider reduction. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto the wire rack.
  8. Remove the pan and brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cider reduction. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes.
  9. Stir the powdered sugar glaze, then drizzle over the cake. Let the cake cool completely (about 2 hours) before stirring. The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Stir the batter gently so the cake won't be tough.

I doubled the glaze for a prettier finished cake (and it's good).

Make sure the cake is fairly cooled before glazing or the glaze will soak into the cake.

The original recipe calls for unsalted butter, but I use regular salted butter. Your choice.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 555mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 3gSugar: 36gProtein: 6g
© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Cakes

Warm Butternut Squash Salad

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Fall is finally in the air here in Texas (for one day at least) and I thought this Warm Butternut Squash Salad by Ina Garten would be perfect for lunch today. I did make a few changes to the original recipe, but otherwise followed the instructions faithfully.

First I need to discuss butternut squash. I had a big fight with my squash because it was as hard as a brick and my wonderful Wusthof knife couldn’t cut it without a lot of manipulating and bad words. Since I’ve never cut a butternut squash before, I looked it up online and made sure I knew the routine.

Didn’t quite work out like the lady’s online did (and she was still smiling by the end of the video). I highly recommend you research a little bit before cutting one up, but you may know something I don’t. I’m really contemplating buying pre-cut squash next time.

Anyway…after the demon squash was chopped, I roasted it along with the berries (I used dried cranberries, blueberries, and strawberries), made the wonderful warm vinaigrette, toasted the walnuts, and grated the parmesan. The combination of these ingredients over the baby spinach was great. Sweet and savory, with the tang of dried fruit and crunch of walnuts.

The warm apple cider vinaigrette (I used apple juice) was perfect over the salad. Don’t overdress it or you’ll lose the individual components.

Would I make it again? Yes definitely, but I’ll strongly consider using pre-chopped butternut squash unless someone lets me know an easier way to cut one up!

Warm Butternut Squash Salad

Warm Butternut Squash Salad

Yield: 5 - 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Wonderful combination of vegetables and fruit with crunchy toasted walnuts over spinach with a flavorful warm apple cider vinaigrette. 

Ingredients

  • 1 (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4" chopped
  • 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp Good Quality Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tbsp dried cranberries (I used a combination of dried cranberries, blueberries, strawberries)
  • 3/4 C apple cider or apple juice
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp minced shallots
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, washed and carefully dried
  • 1/2 C walnuts, toasted
  • 3/4 C freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. 
  2. Placed the chopped butternut squash on a light-colored sheet pan.  Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss to cover all of the squash.  Roast the squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender.  Add the dried berries to the pan and toss - roast for for 5 more minutes.
  3. While the squash is roasting, combine the apple juice, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil for 6-8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Set aside.
  4. Place the spinach into a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, toasted walnuts, and grated Parmesan.  Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

To toast walnuts, put them in a small, dry, nonstick saucepan and turn the heat on medium.  Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes (do not let burn).

I added a slosh (about 1/2 tsp.) of maple syrup to the dressing while whisking.  I like the flavor of it.

The original recipe calls for arugula instead of spinach, but I like spinach better!

Serve immediately since there's warm squash and warm dressing.  This would be great without the squash and with some chopped cooked chicken.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 7g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Ina Garten
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads