A Southern Grace: sigh. hello fall.

September 24, 2009

sigh. hello fall.

Yum

Summer's over, and I need to come to terms with that. I must accept that it's time to break out my long-sleeved shirts and space heater, and I must face the fact that it's time for some comforting fall food.


Case in point: Fresh apple cake.

New York is an apple-happy state. I've enjoyed experiencing the many varieties of different shapes, sizes, colors, flavors, and textures. One of my favorite finds is the Macoun. Interestingly, one of my co-workers recently told me it's one of the few varieties that she can eat. Apparently she's allergic to a protein found in most types but not present in the Macoun. Good to know.

I'll tell ya--she couldn't have hand-picked a better apple to be able to eat. The Macoun is subtly sweet and perfectly crisp, and I decided it would be the perfect choice for a fresh apple cake. I have a recipe for apple cake that I love, but in the interest of potentially finding something better, I gave another recipe a shot.


The corners are CLEARLY the best part--the glaze trickles down and pools up, ultimately seeping into and saturating those four areas of cake.
We're talking prime real estate, folks.


The resulting delight from FoodMayhem (a wonderfully-maintained and awesomely-titled blog that you should all explore) was everything the quintessential fall treat should be--redolent of warm spices, moist, sweet, and completely comforting. Eating it felt like receiving a giant bear hug. Not a bone-crusher, mind you, but a nice, love-filled squeeze.

Is this my new favorite apple cake? For now, the apple dapple cake reigns supreme, but that's not to say I'd ever turn down a hefty slab of this one.

Fragrant Fresh Apple Cake
(adapted from this recipe)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups chopped apples

Brown Sugar Glaze (halved)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray down a 13x9-inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Separately whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

85 comments:

Amanda @ Mrs.W's Kitchen said...

Mmm, yummy! Anything with apples is a-o-k in my book. I'll have to try the Macoun--I am usually too captivated by the GingerGolds!

Barbara said...

Isn't it fascinating? You are sighing about fall, the coming winter, heavy clothes, snowy weather- your time to hole in. (I remember that feeling too.) We in Florida are just beginning to dig out from our loooong hot summer and into weather we love.
Anyway Grace, I love your apple cake recipe. It sounds moist and delicious.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Conforting to please and so delicious looking! I love apples in cakes!

Cheers,

Rosa

Half Baked said...

Umm Yes please!!! comfort food at its best:)

Julia said...

Looks wonderful!

Sigh, fall. But I do love the apples and squashes... I'll just keep telling myself that :)

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

OK the problem I have with your photos is that they look too tempting and about life size so a part of my brain gets excited and thinks that the apple cake is right in front of me but then sadly realises that I cannot grab it from the computer monitor! Please post less appetising pics :P

kat said...

I'm so happy its moving to fall & fall food! apple season is the best

Kate at Serendipity said...

I love fall. I love apples. I love apple cake. This looks faboo!

YUM.

Anonymous said...

don't sigh about the seasons!
you should be thankful its not like singapore,
its warm here 24/7!
and by the way, that picture looks too good.
would you please air mail some to me? :D
i could really use a snack right now.

Lindsey@pickyeatings said...

We are swarming in apples here in MA as well...I've been eating them daily and when I get a chance I will make a pie, or two.

Unknown said...

What an amazing looking moist cake! I bet the HoneyCrisp apple would be good in it. Do you get those? They're a cross between a Macoun and something else...maybe a Fiji? They have a short season and are pricey but they're the world's best apple, in my opinion!

oneordinaryday said...

I don't know if I'm ready for summer to be over, but I do love all the tastes and flavors of fall. This cake looks great. My dad l-o-v-e-s apple cake and just told me yesterday that he hopes I take one home for him in October when we see each other again. : )

vanillasugarblog said...

do you think if we all think hard enough to bring summer back it might work? all of us thinking at once? or will our brains explode? LOL
I think the only thing I like about fall, besides the new clothes are the apple cider doughnuts fried in hot grease! right? I mean come on.
I love how moist your cake is, seriously.

Laura said...

Unlike you I am whooping with joy, not sighing, so that cake looks especially tasty to me. Hello Fall!!!!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

There is not one sense of fall in the air here but then we don't have a fall or autumn here. I will though attempt to keep up with everyone's lovely fall inspired desserts. This lovely being the first.
~ingrid

Pam said...

No sighing here - I am celebrating! Fall is my very favorite time of year, I can't wait to slow cook, roast and make soups. This apple cake looks and sounds perfect for fall - I love all the cinnamon.

Lisa said...

Apple Cake hugs sound like just the thing to coax me into fall. I can smell the brown sugar and cinnamon with that crisp note of apple already!

lisa is cooking said...

I want some apple cake! We're having freakishly fall-like weather for Sept, and now I want apples, soup, and pumpkins. I'll take the corner piece, please.

Dolce said...

That, plus the brown sugar glaze, that's definitely a fall winner, something to look forward to!

The Blonde Duck said...

I dont' like cake, but I like this!

George Gaston said...

What a way to start a new Fall! This is my kind of cake, simple ingredients with a twist; that wonderful brown sugar glaze.

Great blog – glad I stumbled upon it!

Sophia said...

Well, what do you know. I might just have found the perfect apple recipe! I'm always welcoming to new apple recipes, but perhaps my search is over...this looks so simple, yet soooo comfortingly delish!

Sharon said...

With record high temps its feeling more like summer here than ever. However, that does not mean I cannot celebrate the beginning of fall for the rest of the country with some of this cake!!

Jennifer said...

YUM YUM YUM< I have to make this and I know just what apple I will use, Honeycrisp!

Unknown said...

oooh, that sure does look delish!

Melanie said...

Oh, anything named apple cake cannot be bad. I've never head of that variety of apple but it looks like I may need to seek it out.

Gloria Baker said...

I love apples and I love Fall, we are going to have spring now but really I love fall, wonderful!! gloria

Jackie at Phamfatale.com said...

The close-up of your apple cake make my mouth water. It looks so moist!

Marjie said...

This does look like a perfect fall dessert!

Marian said...

Hi I am new to your blog and I live in the South...Oh how I would love some fall crip fresh cool air!
I can't wait to make this even though we are seeing 80 degrees still most days!

Hungry Dog said...

Gotta love fall for the wonderful apples and apple-related desserts! This looks lovely and very seasonal.

Mimi said...

Can't wait for the fall weather to arrive here, we are still having 100+ degree days. That said, as soon as it's cool enough to bake apple cake will be on the menu.
Mimi

Leslie said...

Oh how I wish I could break out the long sleeve shirts!
Send over some apple cake for my woes please!!!

Bunny said...

I'm just dying to make something with apples! There in the fridge sitting there waiting to be adorned in brown sugar and cinnamon (sigh). This cake looks wonderful!

♥peachkins♥ said...

love Fall recipes..a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a slice of this apple cake please?

Rebeca said...

i LOVE apple cake!
it's prob my fave even though i love chocolate, apple cake is just so special and delicious

Anonymous said...

This apple cake sounds just delightful!

Unknown said...

yum apple cake. i love fall and all of its warm tasty treats. I can't wait to see what other fall treats you have to come.

Deborah said...

Oh how I love apple season, and how I'd love a slice of this!

shaz said...

That looks wicked. This post is great timing because some of the apples I'm getting are starting to be a bit past their best (being spring over here) - perfect for throwing into a cake....mmmm

Robin said...

Grace this looks like a nice and simple apple cake. We went apple picking last week and while picking I sampled all kinds of apples, by the time it was time to go my chin was full of hives. I must have an apple protein allergy too!

unconfidentialcook said...

Now that's what I call a good use of apples! I'm not a big fan of pie, I've been thinking of applesauce, but now I know what I'm gonna make.

Dewi said...

Great idea Grace, I love apple and pretty excited about trying so many recipes with it.
Your cake look fabulous.

Anonymous said...

I definitely need to give this a go the soonest. I love anything with apples (though not so much the fruit on its own ~hehe), and topping it off with a brown sugar glaze? Heaven! Now all I need is to get me some apples :P

Sophie said...

Yep, I'd go for the corners! I need to try those apples. Right now I'm a fan of freshly picked Mass Mcintosh apples :).

Emily said...

You've got me craving apple cake now! This looks fannnnntastic. I've never tried that apple, Grace, but I'm going to look for it at the store now.

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

Grace, thanks for trying a cake from our blog!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Apple cakes are one of the best things about fall. I agree about the prime real estate. Dibs on a corner piece.

Kerstin said...

What a lovely apple cake and you're right, so perfect for fall!

Erin said...

I don't know what will be better - how great this will make my house smell, or how amazing it'll taste.
I can't wait to make it!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I would die for a piece. Looks so good.

Unknown said...

Oh, the great smells of Fall. I have an apple tree in my yard and I put lots of them in the freezer. One bag of them is certainly going in a FRESH APPLE CAKE. So Good!!!
Thanks and have a wonderful day.

Karine said...

I also sad summer is gone..... that season is just too short!

But, your cake seems to be a great way to accomodate the change of season :)

LilSis said...

First of all, your recipes and photos always make me drool!! We, here in CA, are not yet experiencing any signs of Fall. We're having our Indian Summer, record high temps at the beach, so I'm not doing any baking, but your cake looks amazing! And, I do remember living in Upstate NY! It snowed on my first Halloween there and didn't stop until Mother's Day!!

Anonymous said...

I am SO excited at the arrival of fall... can't wait for the leaves to begin turning in earnest and the first nips of frost in the morning (why do I live so far south if I love cold weather? who knows.)...

I've been thinking apple cake for about a week - these recipes have both been bookmarked! And I'm totally going to go check out Food Mayhem!

eatme_delicious said...

Ooo yum! A great way to welcome fall. Interesting to know about the Macoun apple, though I've never heard of or seen it before.

Susie said...

Grace this looks soooooo good, my mouth is watering, doesn't help I skipped breakfast this morning. I love that it is dairy free as well!

Heather said...

ahhhhhhhhh. drooool. i looooove apple cake! i'll gladly take cool weather if i can have this on the weekends :)

Unknown said...

Oh I envy you and your changing seasons. Here in the land of perpetual summer we are awaiting the rainy season.It should have started 3 months ago....Sadly I am not a huge fan of apples which tend to be mealy by the time they are shipped here:-(

Donna-FFW said...

This sounds and looks amazingly delicious. Topped with some ice cream, Id be in food heaven. Off to check out the apple dapple cake.

Jeanne said...

Oh, you are a woman after my own heart!! I *adore* Macouns and wa devastated to find out they seldon find their way out of the states where they are grown, much less the country. Still, I've had 3 Fall visits to the US in recent years and always make sure I eat my fill of macouns... The cake looks sublime - must try it!

Lori said...

Oh my.. apple cake is a must in the Fall! This looks yuumy. I love that it has three cups of chopped apples in it.

Peter M said...

Summer is gone but comfort food and some in season produce is at our disposal. You always make the moistest cakes, gotta be luv ya put into the dish, non?

Juliana said...

Oh! Your apple cake looks so yummie, moist and lots and lots of apple...I know I get a little depressed with Fall...love Summer :-), but change is always good ;-)

Velva said...

To be able to enjoy baked treats like this apple cake, I would gladly break out the long sleeved shirts and the space heater.

This cake recipe looks awesome!

Mini Baker said...

oh my goodness! I just found your blog and I'm in love! your recipes (and blog layout too!) are so simple and yummy looking!
I will be at your blog OFTEN! :)
Happy Baking,
Mini Baker

Maris said...

I can't stop staring at this! Gorgeous photo and gorgeous apple cake!

Teanna said...

I think this apple cake is the perfect way to welcome fall! With open arms (and mouth)!

Veggie Belly said...

this is a great way to welcome fall!

Albany Jane said...

Noiiiice! I really love that site too! And I'm so with you on the cake corners thing - a little crusty/crunchy, chewy, and extra glaze. Yum.

hannah queen | honey & jam said...

This looks SO good!

kellypea said...

Apple + cake = Heaven. Wishing my long sleeves and "space heater" (what is that?) were here. I celebrated overcast skies for the first time in I dunno how long. We've got about 4 weeks left... ; /

Jacque said...

Mmm, nummers! I too, would be hard pressed to turn down a piece of this cake. How lucky for you to live in apple country.

Jenna said...

Fall has indeed arrived here in Tennessee. I am not wearing flipflops for the first time in a while. Sighs. Apple cake sounds good right now for breakfast.

Aleta said...

We're finally in the 80's (no more 90's - HOPEFULLY).. so that's fall weather for us. Then again, our seasons in the south are "Summer" and "Summer Lite".. with that, Apple Cake is good YEAR 'round! YUMMMMMMM

Katie said...

Apple Sauce and Apples Sounds great to me! This Fall kinda snuck up on me so I will be making this really soon!

Hornsfan said...

I'd give anything for fall to officially arrive here in Texas but I'll absolutely be cooking up some apples until it does :) I love a good apple dessert and can't wait to try this one.

Snooky doodle said...

wow this cake looks delicious. I love apples especially when baked like this :)
Nice blog. glad I discovered it :)

Anonymous said...

comfort food, is what say I... here in montana where we went from summer to winter...3 inches of the white stuff!!!

gp (keeping it pithy!) :)

Unknown said...

I'm drooling! There's nothing better than fresh apple cake drown in glaze! This is why fall is my fave season :)

Sweet_Tooth said...

YES! seasonal fall foods are my very FAVORITE and now tha the leaves are turning I can't wait to fill the kitchen with spells of pumpkin, apple, and spice.

Thanks for this, I now know what I'm making for the first fall carnival of the year.

Jaime said...

I love the fall...and apples :) I have a really buttery apple cake recipe in my blog from last year that I love, though this one looks pretty good too

Anonymous said...

Comfort food and fall are the best!
This is a lovely cake that I am going to put on my "must bake" list!

Great blog!

Susie said...

I made this last night Grace and it is divine! Brought it into the office today and it has been popular, I think I have eaten the majority of it though. Yum!

Lauren.OurKitchen said...

Wow! We just made this for a birthday lunch at the office, it is incredible! So moist and delicious, there isn't a single crumb left! Thankyou so much for sharing such a fantastic recipe!