Spiced Apple Cake … Autumn Warmth!
Charles Dudley Warner
Fruit in baked treats has always been my weakness. This year it’s reaching new heights, as I’ve baked extensively with pears, apples, peaches, apricots, plums & persimmons. There’s nothing I find more charming, and the mind got thinking about the cake instantly. No pears at home, but just knew apples would work beautifully too. I had the fruit stewing pretty soon, and ‘snail buddy’ Petah was being tweeted for his wise advice.
Spiced Apple Cake
Adapted from Food Network Canada
Inspired by Peter M @ Kalofogas
Ingredients:
Poached Apples
5 small apples, with stems
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 x cinnamon stick
Spice cake
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds (see note)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
Method:
Poached Apples
Peel the apples, leaving the stems in place and the apples whole. Working from the bottom, core the apples using a melon baller. Place the apple in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside. Place the water, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the apples and the remaining lemon juice. With the syrup barely simmering, poach the apples until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool to room temperature. Set aside 60 ml (1/4 cup) poaching liquid. 
Spice cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a rectangular tart pan {or line a 10 x 20-cm (4 x 8-inch) loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the long sides. Butter the other sides.}
In a bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar using an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the reserved poaching liquid. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Stand the apples in the batter, touching the bottom of the pan.
Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake between 2 apples comes out clean. Let cool on a rack and unmould gently.
Variation: If you prefer, you can replace the ground almonds with another kind of finely chopped nut (hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.).
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
Before I go I have to say thank you to some foodie friends who have chosen to give me some precious awards. Each award makes me feel very honoured and special. Am thrilled to have found so many talented & fun bloggers that make blogging ever so worthwhile. You inspire me no end. Thank you from the bottom of my heart…
Rebecca @ Chow & Chatter for the ‘Friends Award’,
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
38 Comments
Jamie
Yet another amazing and stunning dessert from Deeba. I keep telling myself that I will not be surprised as I expect only the amazing when I come here but I always am. Gorgeous Fall cake with the perfect combo of Autumn flavors and I love the whole apples! And congrats on all the much-deserved awards!
Happy cook
Saw this in peter's place and fell in love with it too.
You have really done justice to the recipe, love that you used apples as there was no pears.
Yeah congrats on the lovely awards.
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
A warming delicious looking autumnal cake. I will have to check out the pear version too. Well done on the blog awards too, very well deserved for all your beautiful work.
Barbara Bakes
Lovely dessert! You are such a clever girl to leave one apple with the stem and turned for contrast! Definitely inspirational! Congrats on all your awards!
MaryMoh
wow…my eyes almost popped out looking at these….am drooling bad 🙁 I wish I hv some NOW…they good soooo gooood…just what I need now
Divina Pe
Triple wow, look at that. They're truly a work of art.
lisaiscooking
The whole apples are so pretty here! I wanted to try this as soon as I saw Peter's pear cake too. Looks delicious!
Rosa's Yummy Yums
A fabulous cake! I'm addicted to anything spicy! I'm drooling…
Cheers,
Rosa
Gloria
Deeba this llok absolutely delicious.. as well, besoosss, gloria
Barbara
This is a lovely cake, Deeba. Lovely poached apples standing in a yummy, spicy cake. Great photos!
And congratulations on all your awards!
Sophie
MMMMMMM,…Your spiced apple cake looks fabulous,…
Yum Yum Yum!! I so love all of your yummie flavours!
Federica
wow splendida torta e splendide foto!
Rose
Oooh this looks so pretty! I've been wanting something to bake in my rectangular tart pan. DELISH!
Julia @ Mélanger
I love those moments when you see something and you know you just HAVE to make it.
This tart is fabulous. I love the whole fruit peeking out! Perfect for fall.
Steph
I like how you kept the apples large so the pieces don't disappear into the cake. I also love your pan, it looks so pretty!
Helene
How can you bake a delicious looking cake like this one. That would be so great today to put some sunshine in my day. Have a good one! Hélène
Mowie @ Mowielicious
Hey Deeba! You probably know by now that apple cake is my favourite by far! Nothing beats it and yours looks so delish I could almost smell it! I just want to reach into the screen and grab a slice. Gorgeous. And congratulations on all your awards, you so deserve them with this brilliant blog of yours – Yay! =)
diva
i absolutely love that whole apples have been pressed into the cake batter! makes it look so rustic and wholesome. and of course, it's no doubt delicious as heck. send me some please. i want cake! and apple spice cake at that! xxx
Amanda
Gorgeous Deeba, just gorgeous!!
A_and_N
Wow, the huge apples sure look good in the cake and such fantastic pics, Dee!
5 Star Foodie
This is gorgeous! I love the whole apples in this cake!
Bellini Valli
Peter's cake caught my eye as well. Pears seem to be calling me…but so do apples.
Bharti
I've never seen a cake like this…so different. Love the look and sound of it Deeba.
Arwen from Hoglet K
It looks great with the whole apples on top!
Sue
Deeba,
Thank you so much for bringing my attention to both versions of this cake. It's such a great variation on the usual apple cake. Gorgeous.
Congrats on the awards. You deserve them!
Alicia (The Red Deer)
It looks so pretty – and I bet the taste is amazing!
Fresh Local and Best
This is a gorgeous dessert! The baked in apples truly makes it a show stopper.
nithya at hungrydesi
Wow, this looks beautiful and spicy and sweet and delicious! Love all of the photos. Can you believe, my husband told me the other day that he doesn't like apples b/c they have no taste?! He said the same thing about brussels sprouts 🙂
Baking Monster
This looks like the best cake ever!yum!
zurin
beautiful! :))
Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
Beautiful whole apples! This looks delicious!
Jeanne
Deeba – how gorgeous!! And I love how low-maintenance the apples are – just peel and toss in 🙂 Looks perfect for the Autumn.
Murasaki Shikibu
Wow this is interesting – and I love your presentation as usual. 🙂
shayma
deeba the photos are outstanding. i wish i baked, i dont have it in me- admire you so much. i would eat this all by myself. x
Peter M
Deebaaaah, you took a wonderful idea and adapted it with what you have on hand…that's talent.
It's a showstopper and easy to make.
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]
I have NEVER seen a cake with whole apples in it! You always manage to do something different even in the most basic of things 😛
maus
A warming delicious looking autumnal cake! I like the idea! Inspirational indeed!