It’s still a little warm to crank up the oven, but Hilda’s Apple Cake is definitely worth the sweat. This cake is different – cinnamon-sugar and butter coat the thinly sliced apples on the bottom and then there’s an upper layer of fluffy cake. It’s almost an apple cobbler, but wait – it’s a cake!
I think apples will be my fruit of choice to cook with this Fall. There are so many great varieties and they’re so good for you. Be sure and choose a firm, rather tart apple for this recipe like Granny Smith or Fuji.
It was hard to wait till the cake was cool enough to eat. You can smell that vanilla and cinnamon all over the house and it’s just begging to be eaten.
We’ve been enjoying Hilda’s Apple Cake (whoever Hilda is). It’s not overwhelmingly sweet and with the baked apples and tender cake separated into layers, it’s really a unique cake. Thanks Hilda!
This is another recipe from Richard Sax’s book Classic Home Desserts and you’ll probably see a few more pop up here before the end of the year.
A lot of the recipes are excellent home-style comfort desserts, but there are a few that look challenging and I may need to make them. And eat them. Oh, and maybe share.
Hilda's Apple Cake
Soft, fluffy cake on the top, cinnamon apples on the bottom. Good cake with coffee or warmed up with a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Apples
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb (about 4 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Fuji, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (4 cups)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 C sugar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Batter
- 1/4 C (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 3/4 C plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 C milk
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 11x7' Pyrex baking dish (or 9" square cake pan).
- For the Apples: Place the sliced apples in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Toss the apples until they're all coated. Pour into the prepared dish and spread them out evenly.
- For the Batter: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar together on medium-high until light. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl, then add 1/2 of it into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until just combined.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they form stiff, but not dry, peaks. Fold 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the batter until blended, then add the rest and gently fold.
- Pour the batter over the apples and gently spread out without deflating the batter. Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon in a small cup and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil so the top won't burn, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
I sliced the apples very thinly. Next time I'll slice them a little thicker - about a quarter inch instead of an eighth inch thick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 piecesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
