Perfectly sweet and bursting with tart green apple flavor, this cake is giving me all the fall feels! Tangy buttermilk keeps the cake moist, while warm cinnamon and fresh orange zest give it just the right kick. This cake is cozy enough for a casual weekend, yet elegant enough to grace the Thanksgiving dessert table!
Here’s what you need:
Make a reduced apple purée.
In order to get 2 large apples into this 1 cake, you need to reduce them. This will remove any liquid that would make your cake soggy, while intensifying the apple flavor.
Peel and dice 2 of the apples. Toss them into a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, orange zest and juice and lemon juice. The citrus balances the sweetness of the cake and makes the apple flavor pop.
Turn the stove to medium and stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Place the lid on the saucepan and turn the the heat to medium low and just let it cook. Check it every few minutes to make sure the sauce isn’t reducing too quickly. It’s better to have it cook more slowly than for it to become over caramelized.
After simmering 40 to 45 minutes, the apples will be fork tender. Use the back of the fork to smash into the sauce as it reduces. You could use a food processor for this, but I prefer the texture of the smashed apples in the finished cake.
The apple purée will be thick and jammy when ready and there should no liquid pooling at the bottom of the pan. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the batter.
Make the cake batter.
The butter, eggs and buttermilk should all be at room temperature before baking to ensure a smooth, velvety batter.
Cream the butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the cooled apple purée and continue to beat until combined.
With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Use a rubber spatula at any time to scrape down batter from the sides of the bowl.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder and salt until they are very well combined.
Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk.
Pour the vanilla extract into the buttermilk.
With the mixer running on low speed, add a big spoonful of the dry ingredients, then a drizzle of the buttermilk mixture. Continue to do this until everything is in, then beat until the batter comes together.
For the decoration.
This apple wreath makes the cake shine! It’s simple but effective and really drives home the apple and cinnamon flavors!
First, prepare a 9 inch springform pan by spraying it with cooking spray and lining the bottom with circle of parchment. Pour in the cake batter and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula.
Peel the remaining apple and slice it into very, very thin slices. The slices should be about 1/8 of an inch thick. Too-thick slices will weigh the cake down prevent it from rising. Arrange the slices in a fan around the edge of the cake, overlapping them slightly. Brush them with melted butter, then sprinkle them with a cinnamon sugar mixture that is a tablespoon or so of sugar and about an 8th of a teaspoon of cinnamon. Just eyeball it.
Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
The apple reduction makes the batter more on the dense side, so it needs a longer bake. If you insert a toothpick and get wet crumbs, you are good to go! It will continue to cook in the pan after you take it out of the oven.
Let the cake cool for at least a half hour before unbuckling the pan.
It’s torture, but it’s necessary. Cutting into it too early will cause it to crumble.
Serve your show-stopping, rustic cake with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream and salted caramel sauce!
Other recipes to try:
Rustic Cinnamon Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 3 Granny Smith apples 2 for the cake and 1 for decoration
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter plus a couple tablespoons for brushing the apple slices
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus extra for dusting the apple slices
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon plus extra for dusting the apple slices
Instructions
Make the reduced apple puree
- Peel and dice two of the apples and add them to a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, orange zest and juice and lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Place the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, though it could take longer. Keep an eye on it. If the sauce seems to be reducing too fast or the apples seem to be browning, turn the heat down. It's better to have it at a lower heat and cook more slowly than cook too fast and over caramelize before the apples are soft.At about 40 minutes, use a fork to check if the apples are tender. You should be able to smash them with the back of the fork. Continue to smash all of the apples this way. The purée will be ready when there is no liquid pooling at the bottom of the pan. If you prefer, you could purée the apples in a food processor.
Make the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, remaining salt and cinnamon and set aside.Cream the butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add the cooled apple purée and beat until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time to the mix.Add the vanilla to the buttermilk. Alternate between adding the buttermilk mixture and the dry ingredients to the batter. Add a couple big spoonfuls of the dry ingredients first, then a drizzle of buttermilk. Repeat the process until everything is in and beat for about 30 seconds more until the batter comes together. Use a rubber spatula at any point if you need to scrape down the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Peel the remaining apple and slice it, vertically, into about 1/8 of an inch slices. Slices that are too thick will prevent the cake from rising as it bakes. Fan the slices out around the outer edge of the cake, overlapping them just slightly. Brush the slices with melted butter. Mix together about a tablespoon or so of sugar and about an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon (you can really just eyeball it.) Use a small spoon to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the apples. Try very hard not to get any of the melted butter or cinnamon sugar on the actual cake. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Unbuckle and remove the the cake from the pan. Use a bench scraper or spatula to assist with lifting it from the bottom section of the pan. Serve with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.