Leaves are down; nights are cold; Thanksgiving is around the corner. Turkeys and cranberries fill the food features and it’s time to get out the heirloom linens and silver. Can we make Grandmother’s table as inviting as we remember it? Now I’m older than my grandmother was when I sat in those Chippendale chairs by the fern filled bay window where we all bowed our heads for Grace. Around came the platters and bowls until my plate was over filled and black raspberry jelly dripped on the crisp white tablecloth.
In light of an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner away from home, it would be nice to bring along a homemade festive treat. Pie’s the thing for Thanksgiving dinner, but pie is best baked the day of. If you need something that will travel and can be baked ahead and even might be better baked ahead, a fresh apple cake fills the bill.
We’re still in the great Midwestern apple season, and fresh tart cooking apples make a spiced cake deliciously moist. This old recipe called for vegetable oil, but the more I learn about these highly processed oils, the less I want to put them in food. I’m choosing here to go back to butter–which is more natural, has more flavor and in all likelihood is better for us. I’ve also reduced the amount of fat with butter and cut back on the original sugar ratio. So here is a quick mix cake made with grated fresh apples, optional walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and topped with a luscious brown butter icing. Bake it a few days ahead; pop it in a tin (or freeze) and pack it along when you dash “over the river and through the
woods. . .”
Fresh Apple Cake
3 oz. unsalted butter (6 tablespoons)
9 oz. sugar (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
2 large eggs
8 oz. all purpose flour (1 ¾ cups)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda (please sift)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
grating fresh nutmeg
2 cups peeled, grated cooking apples (4-5)
2 oz. lightly toasted walnuts, optional, (½ cup)
Prepare baking pans: 2 8-inch round cake pans, or 2 6-inch cake pans plus 1 small loaf pan, or 3 small loaf pans or 1 large spring form pan.
Line the pans with parchment or butter wrappers. Butter the paper or brush with oil, sprinkle with flour and knock out excess flour.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Peel the apples, grate on the large holes of a box grater; measure 2 cups.
Whisk to combine the flour, salt, sifted soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Whisk in eggs one and a time and whip to a soft, billowy mixture. If using a mixer, remove bowl from the stand. Using a flexible spatula, fold the grated apples alternately with the flour into the creamed mixture. Divide the cake batter evenly in the prepared tins. Bake the cakes for 25-40 minutes, depending on the size, or until they are nicely browned and test done. Cool 5 minutes in the tins before turning onto a cooling rack.
Prepare Brown Butter Icing: Melt 2 oz. (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt in a saucepan and cook until it foams and turns lightly brown. It should smell like toasted nuts, and there will be some brown sediment at the bottom of the pan (that’s OK). Mix 6 oz. (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar into the hot butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon at a time up to 3 tablespoons of milk to make an icing consistency. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla. Spread warm icing on cool cakes. Cool completely before wrapping.
Mary Jo's Kitchen 