Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

Posted on September 17, 2012 by kitchenbelle

It’s that time of year! (And believe it or not, I’m not referring to pumpkins. Not yet, at least!) I have APPLES on the brain!  Boy am I loving these crisp cool mornings. I’ve officially made the switch to hot coffee, which is a big step given the iced coffee addict that I am.

I always welcome the transition to fall with open arms. The season seems  briefer and briefer each year, which is all the more reason so savor it. The pressure of filling the long days of summer is behind us and we can retreat to the house for warm dinners, red wine, and pumpkin beer. And the season is all the sweeter now that I have a little pumpkin’s birthday to celebrate each fall!

I attended a Rosh Hashanah dinner party this weekend and I was asked to make a dessert containing apples. It’s my understanding that apples (and honey) signify the sweetness of the New Year. (If anyone would like to elaborate on this in the comments, please do.)

I always enjoy being tasked with a specific request! I contemplated an apple tart but ultimately decided on this apple cake because it gave me a reason to purchase a Bundt pan. I can’t believe I didn’t already own one! It’s green, of course!

This cake turned out great! While it worked well as a dessert, it would also be appropriate to serve with tea and coffee as a coffee cake. I decided to take a short cut using the caramel candies instead of making caramel sauce from scratch because it was so. much. easier. While making the sauce from sugar might have been fun, it would have required me to find my candy thermometer and would have taken much longer. This “fake” method tasted fantastic and I am not sure it would be worth my time to make it from scratch. (Feel free to convince me otherwise!)

I poured the sauce into a squeeze bottle and drizzled it over the cake until it dribbled down each corner and crevice. Mmmmm. Apples + Caramel– a duo that is in the rankings of Peanut butter + Chocolate, Tuna Salad + Potato Chips, and Crusty Bread + Cheese in my book.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce:

  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground
  • cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  • 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set
aside.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs; mix on high speed until combined.

With mixer on medium speed, gradually add dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Using a wooden spoon fold apples into batter and mix to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with
a few moist crumbs attached, about 60-65 minutes. Note: Ovens vary drastically so this cake could take as long as 70 minutes. Begin checking it at 55 minutes. My oven is hot and this cake took about 60 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack, and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Easy Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 bag of caramel candies
  • 1/2 cup of cream or milk

Place unwrapped caramel square candies into a microwave safe bowl. Add cream or milk. Microwave on high for one minute at a time stirring after each minute until melted.

Recipe adapted from Butter + Cream blog, originally from Martha Stewart.com.

Filed under: apple, bread, Breakfast, cake, Dessert, Fall | 2 Comments »

Maple Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on October 4, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Saturday was a baking day.  There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  It was rainy and dark and I knew I needed to fill our kitchen with scents of the season.  This summer my in-laws visited Canada and brought back some delicious Canadian maple syrup.  I decided to bake something maple flavored so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins I was very pleased! 

A couple of notes:

  • The original recipe suggested baking at 400 F, and though it struck me as odd, rather than follow my gut I followed the recipe.  Unfortunately the oven was way too hot and a few of my muffin bottoms burned.  These should be baked at either 350 F or 375 F.
  • Rather than top these muffins with pecans, I added a crumbly streusel-like topping.
  • As you know I am a lover of chunks, so I almost added some chocolate chips but I feared it would overpower the maple flavor so I refrained.  These were more “breakfast” without chocolate chips.  Adding chocolate would make them more “dessert.”  🙂

Maple Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or squash
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
  • 1 package cream cheese, softened

    • Topping:

  • 3/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter

    • Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin tins with papers.

    Prepare topping by combining first five topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut butter into this mixture and use your finger tips or a fork to crumble the ingredients together.  The texture should be like that of coarse sand/pebbles.  Set aside.

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

    In another bowl whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup.  Slowly add dry ingredients to this mixture and stir just until moistened.  

    In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Gently stir into batter until mixture appears swirled.

    Fill paper-lined muffin tins about three-fourths full.

    Sprinkle about a tablespoon of topping over each muffin cup.

    Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. 

    Adapted from Made by Melissa.

    Filed under: Breakfast, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Fall, muffin, oatmeal, pumpkin, squash | 2 Comments »

    Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Pancakes

    Posted on August 18, 2008 by kitchenbelle

     I have wanted to make whole wheat pancakes for over a year now.  In June of 2007 we attended a friend’s wedding in Philadelphia.  After doing some sight-seeing on the morning of the wedding, husband and I went to a little breakfast place (on the recommendation of a friend of the bride who also happened to be Jennifer Weiner’s assistant) called Sabrina’s on Christian Street near the Italian market.  The whole wheat banana pancakes were DELICIOUS!  So delicious that over a year has passed and I still remember them.  Every time I thought to make them, however, I did not have the whole wheat flour, or buttermilk, or bananas.  Finally, I had all ingredients on hand and I decided to run with it.   These pancakes were so easy to make and they did not disappoint!  I have a feeling these will be a regular weekend occurrence on my comfort table, as they were fantastic.  The bananas were over ripe so they provided a nice moistness and sweetness that complemented the wheat flour.  The blueberries from the farmer’s market were plump and tart and offered a nice contrast from the sweetness of the banana.  Served with a dollop of honey on top and a cup of hot coffee, this meal made me feel like I was in a cozy little Bed and Breakfast! 

    Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Pancakes:

    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 cup fresh blueberries
    • 1/2 ripe banana, sliced

    Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.  Combine egg, buttermilk, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until combined.  (There will be some lumps, however, if batter is too thick, add some additional buttermilk.) Fold fruit carefully into batter.  Lightly grease a  skillet with butter or shortening.  Pour batter into hot skillet and cook pancake about 2-4 minutes on each side.  I made two large pancakes, however, you could probably make about 5 small pancakes.  Garnish with blueberries and serve with honey or maple syrup.

     

    Recipe adapted from recipe found in Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition available for purchase here.

    Filed under: banana, blueberry, Breakfast | Leave a comment »