My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

apple cobbler

Hilda’s Apple Cake

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Hilda's Apple Cake

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.

Apple Cake

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!

Apple Cake

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

Hilda's Apple Cake

Yield: 12 - 15
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Butter an 11x7' Pyrex baking dish (or 9" square cake pan).  
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil so the top won't burn, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.  
  7. 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 pieces
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Richard Sax, Classic Home Desserts
Category: Cakes

Ligita’s Quick Apple Cake

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I don’t know who Ligita is, but I want to thank her from the bottom of my hungry little heart for this Quick Apple Cake recipe.

When I read through it, I was a little puzzled because it’s made in a pie plate and the apple mixture is topped with a thick cake crust. So it’s a cake, baked in a pie plate that ends up rather like a cobbler!

The apples are thinly sliced and tossed in a lemon, sugar, cinnamon mixture, then topped with a lightly sweet cake batter. It ends up with a luscious apple filling and a tender cake layer, along with a slightly crunchy top.

We had it warm with a scoop of Blue Bell Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and it was oh, so tasty.

This cake (pie, cobbler) has a familiar warm apple cake flavor with a different twist. The browned butter really adds a different dimension to the cake layer, so make sure and don’t skip that step.

It’s easy to throw together and, besides having to wait impatiently for it to cool, it’s a quick dessert. Delicious.

Ligitas Quick Apple Cake

Ligita's Quick Apple Cake

Yield: 8-10
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Combination Apple Cake Apple Cobbler - delicious!

Ingredients

  • 3 C tart apples, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 C plus 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 3/4 C butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 C sifted all-purposed flour
  • Vanilla Ice Cream, (optional, but highly recommended!)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate.
  2. Toss the sliced apples in a bowl with the cinnamon, lemon juice and 2 tbsp. of the sugar. Spread the apples evenly in the pie plate.
  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until the foam is lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove immediately from the stove top and pour into a bowl, leaving any sediment and as much foam as possible in the pan.*
  4. Stir the 3/4 cup of sugar into the butter. Slowly stream the egg into the bowl while stirring. Gently stir in the flour until blended. Spoon the batter evenly over the apples and spread into a layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp. sugar.
  5. Bake until lightly golden and crusty, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve from the pan warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Tips and Stuff
I used Fuji apples. Granny Smith would be another good apple – make sure it’s a firm cooking apple. (Takes 3 medium or 2 large)

*When pouring the browned butter into the bowl, pour through a sieve or use a pan lid to get just the liquid out. Some of the foam will come with it – that’s OK, but make sure the sediment from the browning remains in the pan so it won’t be bitter.

Cool at least 30 minutes to let the apple mixture firm up.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 135mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Richard Sax
Category: Cakes

Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler

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Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler3

We spend Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law’s home every year – a wonderful tradition for over 25 years. Besides the wonderful dishes everyone brings, we get to visit with relatives we may not have seen for awhile. My in-laws are terrific people!

Something different this year – instead of turkey and a ham for the meat course, Bret’s sister asked him to make one of his great briskets along with his homemade BBQ sauce (I’ll post the brisket and BBQ sauce later.).

I like to lurk by the dessert table, looking to see what everyone brought. Someone has to taste test, right? I elect me.

This year our niece Jennifer brought this amazing Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler.  One bite and we swooned – really, it’s that good! 

Jennifer giggled and told me that the surprise ingredient is Mountain Dew poured over the top of the crescents before baking.  OK by me if it makes it taste that good!  Plus, think of all that caffeine from the Mountain Dew that will give you the stamina to make it through Thanksgiving with the family. Hmmm.

Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler

I’ll be making this delicious and easy Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler for the next upcoming pot luck! The flavors and textures are hard to describe, but I’ll try.

Delicious apple rolls with a delicious sweet sauce. You’ll be licking the plate – trust me.

Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler

Mountain Dew Apple Cobbler

Yield: 16
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Unique, delicious rolls with a luscious sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2 large apples, , peeled, cored and sliced into 8 wedges each
  • 2, 8 oz cans of crescent rolls
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 1/2 Cups sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon plus cinnamon to taste
  • 1, 12 oz can Mountain Dew soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x13" baking dish (glass dish).  
  2. Separate the crescent roll dough into eight triangles per can.
  3. Take the apple pieces, place into each crescent roll and roll up as usual into the crescent shape. Place each roll seam down into the baking dish.  
  4. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and remove from heat (sugar won't be entirely melted - that's the way you want it). Pour the butter mixture evenly over the crescents. Pour the Mountain Dew over the apple dumplings, filling to about one-third up the side of the baking dish.
  5. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and bake 35-40 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden brown.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Use crisp tart-sweet apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Fuji), not Red Delicious so they won't get mushy.

There are a lot of variations of this recipe floating around out there.  Some say to pour the Mountain Dew directly on the crescents and some say to pour around the sides and down the middle.  Either way, they turn out great.

Be sure and don't completely melt the sugar in the butter because you want that texture on the crescents after baking.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 0g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Dessert