In his debut cookbook, What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life, author Casey Elsass features this apple cake that seems like the poster child for fall. A simple batter made entirely by hand is packed with chopped apples and turned into a cake pan. Elsass mentions the addition of apple cider vinegar in the batter as a unique addition, but we think it’s the topping that truly sets this apple cake apart from all others. The cinnamon sugar topping sets into the cake as it bakes, functioning like a low-effort streusel.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
10-12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round and lightly coat bottom and sides of pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray or room-temperature unsalted butter. Toast ½ cup raw walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside.
Step 2
Whisk 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 large eggs and whisk vigorously until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup sour cream and 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and whisk to combine. Add 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and whisk again until incorporated. Add 2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour and, using a large rubber spatula, fold in until no large dry streaks remain. Add 3 Honeycrisp or Fuji apples (about 1½ lb.), peeled, cored, cut into ½" pieces, and gently mix until each piece is coated in batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface with an offset spatula or a spoon.
Step 3
Mix ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, remaining 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and reserved walnuts in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle mixture evenly over cake.
Step 4
Bake cake until top springs back when lightly pressed in the center or a tester inserted into the center comes out with only few moist crumbs attached, 45–55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan before slicing.
