Autumn Apple Cake

We’ve had a bumper crop of small but serviceable Gala apples this year, but this is not a variety that stores for very long. That means we have to make a whole lot of applesauce and find other ways to eat them up before they become a fruit fly infested mess.

Enter the apple cake:

Last weekend Kirk made this cake courtesy of his friend Tressa’s recipe, and it is delicious. It’s like a nice, dense pound cake with layers of lightly spiced apples throughout:

The photo above is of my breakfast leftover portion, but the original was also served with some vanilla custard poured over the top. It’s the perfect fall treat! 

Tressa’s Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:

1. Stir together cinnamon and 5 Tbsp. sugar. Sprinkle mixture over sliced apples and toss together in a large bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together remaining dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, vanilla and nice and mix well to form a thick batter.
3. In a springform cake pan, add half the batter. Later on apples, then add remaining batter. Complete with another layer of apples.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. test for doneness and allow to cool completely.

Vanilla Custard Topping

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks
• 3 heaping Tbs. sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean

Directions:

1. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
2. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to milk.
3. Heat milk and vanilla in a small saucepan until it boils.
4. Drizzle hot milk slowly into egg mixture while whisking together. Don’t rush, or you could cook the eggs. 
5. Put mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat and allow to thicken until it coats the back of a spoon.
6. Strain custard into bowl and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to pour over apple cake.