Cakes
This post should come with a long overdue apology to my sister…for laughing at her (hard) almost 30 years ago. Her first grade class put together a little “cookbook” comprised of their own made-up recipes. My sister’s contribution to this handwritten anthology was the concept of an apple cake.
“Bwahahahaha!! An apple cake!! Who ever heard of an apple cake?!” was my far more mature and worldly response. Everyone knew there were only three kinds of cake: chocolate, vanilla and chocolate chip. Apple cake…what a kid.
I am eating those words today. More importantly, I’m also eating a fabulous Apple Cake with Butter Pecan Glazefrom the back of my last remaining package of White Lily flour (Southern friends, I’ll be calling on you to ship me some more!). It’s strange to say, but it almost reminded me of a carrot cake, but with a thick, rich caramel-like glaze on top instead of cream cheese frosting. It’s got a lot of sugar, a lot of oil and a lot of apples. I knew it would be super moist and, oh yeah, it was.
What can I say – my little sister was onto something good.
Apple Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze
From the Fresh Apple Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze recipe on the back of the White Lily Enriched Bleached All-Purpose Flour package
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes (plus cooling time)
Yield: 12 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cake:
- 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 cups grated apples, about 4 large
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Butter Pecan Glaze:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
* White Lily has a low protein content, so if you’re using another brand of all-purpose flour use just 2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons.
DIRECTIONS:
For the Apple Cake:
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch fluted tube pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in the apples, pecans and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan, no more than 3/4 full.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack.
For the Butter Pecan Glaze:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Toast the pecans in the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Mix in the brown sugar, cream and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in orange extract.
- Cool the glaze until thickened. Drizzle over the cake. Extra glaze may be spooned over individual slices, if desired.
Cakes
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27 Comments
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. wrote:
wow so pretty! Perfect for the Jewish holidays coming up when Apple Cake is a traditional dessert
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
Wow, I never knew that Alison – that’s really interesting, thanks for letting me know!
See AlsoSpätzle with Sage Butter, Parmesan, and Toasted Hazelnuts Recipe on Food52Tri-Tip Steak Chili RecipeCherry Peach Brown Betty Recipe | A Fruit-Filled Cobbler-Style DessertApple Cobbler (Old Fashioned Recipe) - Miss in the KitchenPosted 9.13.11Reply
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) wrote:
I adore apple cakes, apple breads, and anything that’s baked with apples and not too sweet (as pies sometimes are). I live near a part of Rhode Island called Apple Valley, because it used to be all apple orchards. We still get pretty good apples around here, though many of the orchards are gone.
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
New England and apples are definitely two things I love about fall. 🙂
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Shannon | dinnerordessert wrote:
This cake looks amazing and I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks!
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Leana wrote:
Can you freeze this cake?
Looks so yummy.
thanks
LeanaPosted 9.13.11Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
Maybe? The glaze probably won’t have the same sticky, caramel-like consistency but I imagine it would at least still taste good. Alternatively, you could try freezing it without the glaze and then make some glaze (or just eat it without) once you defrost it.
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Leana wrote:
Freezing without the glaze and when ready to serve make glaze or if I don’t have time sprinkle with powder sugar.
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Julie wrote:
To my 6-year old mind, anything that could be a pie could also be a cake, and I much preferred cake! This looks delicious!
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Cookin' Canuck wrote:
This cake gives me an urge to snuggle down on the couch, blanket wrapped around me and a plate with a piece of this cake in my hand.
Posted 9.13.11Reply
Winnie wrote:
Amazing looking cake!
Definitely want to try it.
As I’m not from the USA (and we don’t have this particular kind of flour), I was wondering if cake flour might to the job. I mean instead of using just 2.5 cups+2 tbs of flours, using 3 cups of cake floursPosted 9.14.11Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
Hi Winnie – it might be fun to experiment with cake flour. I’d be inclined to use slightly less than 3 cups of cake flour as I believe – would have to google to be sure – that White Lily is lighter than cake flour. Ideally, it would be great if all the brands printed how much a cup of their flour ways, then you could more easily make adjustments by weighing the ingredients with a scale (the best way, I think).
Posted 9.14.11Reply
Leana wrote:
Made two of these last night and the house smelled so good. I left out the pecans for both and accidental forgot the vanilla in one. Took the one with out vanilla to work and it was sooooooooo good sprinkled with powder sugar. The plate is all most empty had to put a few slice aside for my boss. I put the other in the freezer for a class this weekend.
Posted 9.14.11Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
That’s terrific! So funny, I had to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies with hardly any vanilla last weekend (bottle fell off the shelf and broke – ugh!). Those ended up fine too. Come to think, both recipes have a whole lot of brown sugar, which probably helps. 🙂
Posted 9.14.11Reply
Jennifer (Delicieux) wrote:
Your apple cake looks fantastic, and oh my, that glaze looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how it’s oozing down the side.
Posted 9.14.11Reply
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie wrote:
I think I could eat that glaze just by itself :).
Posted 9.15.11Reply
Rochelle wrote:
This looks so delicious and the instructions are straightforward. I will get some becan from the farmer’s market this weekend and give it a try – thank you for the recipe.
Posted 2.20.12Reply
Carol wrote:
This truly is an excellent cake! I have used another recipe for years and wanted to try this one. Now, I won’t use any other. The caramel glaze is outstanding…something that was always inconsistent when I used my other recipe.
Posted 9.15.13Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
I’m so glad you liked it, Carol! I really like this recipe too. 🙂
Posted 9.15.13Reply
Felicia wrote:
I cut this recipe off the back of a bag of white lily flour to try for a thanksgiving dessert. So glad you posted this, so I know it’ll be a hit! Have you tried their biscuit recipe by chance?
Posted 10.30.13Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
I most certainly have! 🙂 https://cookingontheside.com/southern-style-biscuits/
Posted 10.30.13Reply
Kathy Strahs wrote:
Hi Agnes — You might try honeycrisp! ~ Kathy
Posted 10.25.14Reply
