Thursday, November 15, 2012

Apple Pecan Cake

  I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this recipe today or one of the other dozen recipes that I have saved as drafts including one for delicious raw brownies, but I picked this recipe since it would be a simple breakfast cake for the holidays. Last week my mom reminded me that it was once again time for me to find a recipe to bake for the church breakfast for Sunday. So far when I have made something it has been these pumpkin muffins which were a hit so I've brought them many times, this zesty lemon blueberry bread, a buttermilk blueberry cake,a cream cheese coffee cake, and a few other treats that I never took pictures of which meant no blog post.
  I wanted to make something with apples since they are in season and one of my favorite snacks. The orange zest and fresh juice gives this cake a slight tang while helping cut through the richness of the cake. I cut a small corner slice from the cake when it was still warm, tasted it, went off to give my mom a small piece and we both felt the same way about this cake..we loved it! I was tempted to keep the cake for us at home and pick up something from the store before church for everyone else, but I didn't.

  This cake can be served warm as a dessert cake when lightly dusted with powdered sugar or  topped with a small drizzle of honey and served with coffee for breakfast. Like most simple bread or tea cake recipes, it's best eaten the next day which is easy if you bake it a few hours before going to bed and stays moist for at least 4 days when stored in a sealed container.
  Most of the people who know me, know that I love baking which is why I was put in charge of the bake sales for our youth group at church to raise money for trips.  Since it's close to the holidays {can you believe Thanksgiving is in 1 week?!} I was thinking about making some holiday-themed goodies like these gingerbread cupcakes along with classics like chocolate chip cookies. Do you have a favorite dessert recipe that would be good for a bake sale that you would like to share? 


Apple Pecan Breakfast Cake
Adapted: Amy Bites

1 medium apple, diced into small chunks
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 1/2 cup All Purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2-1 tsp cinnamon {depending on you taste}
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tsp orange zest
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce {or veg. oil}
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh orange juice {1 large navel orange}
1 tsp vanilla extract


Notes:
-I used Gala apples instead of honey crisp or Fuji because it's what I had and I didn't peel the apples before cutting.
- I added cinnamon {1 tsp} and vanilla extract to the recipe.
- *Baking time: The original recipe said to bake the cake for 50 minutes, but my cake was done around 40 minutes so you want to check your cake early since every oven is different. Also the top of my cake stayed a pale color when done rather than golden brown.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment.
2. Mix the chopped apples and pecans in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of the flour until coated. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, yogurt, orange juice, and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the orange zest and sugar until fluffy. Slowly beat in each egg until incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the yogurt mixture, and stir until combined. Gently fold in the apple pecan mix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan before baking for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. If you used parchment, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely or cool the cake in the pan.

Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Store in an air-tight container or wrapped for a few days.

1 comment:

  1. I love the combination of apples and pecans. This cake looks wonderful! : )

    ReplyDelete