Apple Cake

This week we are making Apple Cake!

The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan by way of Luisa Weiss. Dorie Greenspan is a prolific cookbook author who authored my desert island book, Baking with Julia. Dorie is a master of not only developing recipes but also has the tenacity to write recipes that are clear and concise. Luisa is also a cookbook author, writes the blog The Wednesday Chef, and was the editor on my cookbook. I am forever grateful for having such a sharp eye on my project.

Many years ago, Luisa shared a recipe from Dorie’s book, Around My French Table, for Marie Helene’s Apple Cake. This is a simple one-bowl, stir-it-together kind of cake that is reminiscent of a Clafoutis - a thick custard that bakes into a flan-like cake - but made with apples instead of cherries. I make it nearly every year, at least once, mostly for me because I love a dessert that passes for breakfast and highlights nearly unadorned seasonal fruit.

Last week after the kids and I went to Mt. Hood to apple pick with friends, I knew exactly what I would make with part of our haul. The trick to this cake is choosing a variety of apples that cover the spectrum from tart to sweet, tender to crisp. The cake this weekend has an abundance of varieties including - Jonagold, Gravenstein, Fuji, Red Reuben, Mutsu and Pink Pearls. A pour of bourbon and a splash of vanilla are all the flavorings in this cake, allowing the apples to take center stage. The cake swells gently in the oven while the apples turn tender. Once the cake cools, it settles down, nestling itself closely to the apples. It’s as good warm from the oven as it is cold from the fridge the next day, some even say better.

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Best,