Thursday, October 26, 2017

Improving Upon a Good Thing



Back in 2010, I first posted this recipe for Apple Cake on my recipe blog. (I like keeping all my recipes together in one spot, hence the separate blog. Makes it easy to search.)

Anyways, I make this cake every year. It's a recipe I first tasted in the jungles of Ecuador, made by a good friend. It's delicious, as is, served with softly whipped cream. 

I've mentioned previously how I love watching The Great British Bake Off, and how inspiring I find it. I know there's a new series going now, not on the BBC, and I haven't watched any of it, yet. I have to find out where to view it.



Back to the cake. Inspiration struck when I thought about apples and apple crisp. For me, the best part is the crispy topping. I make a triple or quadruple batch of the topping to keep in the freezer for quick crisps. 

"What if," I thought, "I put some of the apple crisp topping on the apple cake?" 

I did. It's delicious. An improvement upon an already very good cake. Especially after drizzling an icing sugar, butter and cream glaze over top. 

Apple Cake

1 3/4 cups sugar
4 cups apples, cored, not peeled, diced
1/2 cup oil 
1 cup nuts (I omit, due a husband not fond of the crunchy bits)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda (reduced from the original recipe)

About 1 1/2 cups of apple crisp topping (I use one with oatmeal)

1. Stir together sugar, apples, oil, and nuts, if using, in a medium large bowl. 
2. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Stir.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture. Stir just to combine. It will be thick.
5. Spread in oiled 9 x 13 baking pan (I use glass).
6. Sprinkle the apple crisp topping over the batter.  
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
8. While still hot, drizzle a mixture of melted butter (1-2 Tablespoons, 1-2 Tablespoons cream or milk, enough icing sugar to make a spoon-able glaze.)

Enjoy for dessert with a cup of milky chai tea.

Before dessert, this is what we ate for dinner. 


I've been making a few of these sheet pan dinners lately. So easy. Cube vegetables, or cut into bite-sized pieces - here it's sweet potato, red onion, broccoli, and sweet red pepper. Spread on baking sheet. 
Add chunks of chicken breasts (as above), or sausage pieces, or pork chops. 
Season to taste - today it was salt, a pepper medley, and fresh rosemary.
Roast at 420 degrees for 30 minutes. Dinner is served!

34 comments:

  1. I made an apple cake, of a sort, tonight. Its fine, but would be better with some whipping cream or as my daughter said, "Vanilla ice cream!" I'll be getting some of that tomorrow!

    I love these kinds of roasted dinner meals. So easy and tasty!

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  2. What a great idea to add apple crisp topping to the top of your cake! Ingenious! Of course, I also think it's an ingenious idea to make the crisp topping and keep it at the ready! (Might I be tempted to eat it with a spoon? Maybe . . . )

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  3. Too much of a good thing can be wonderful! - Mae West
    Truly great recipe.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  4. Well, now my mouth is watering! Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes. The perfect way to end a brisk autumn day! x K

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  5. Can I pop in for suppler please?
    The final of the Great British Bakeoff is next week.
    I don't know how you access it in Canada, but it is now shown on Channel 4 here. Hopefully this will enable you to get the necessary information required in order to watch it.

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  6. What a great looking cake, perfect for the season.

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  7. Nothing quite like the taste of roasted vegetables, all the flavour is kept in. Your apple cake looks delicious. It's apple season here, and I have been given a box of Bramleys which I'm going to prepare for the freezer.

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  8. Bon appétit! This kind of dishes make people happy - they are beautiful, tasty, colourful, made of healthy ingredients. Your photos are wonderful too. The close-up of the cake is my favourite, one can almost feel the smell... Mmm!
    Wishing you all a happy weekend!

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  9. That looks perfect--the apple cake combined with apple crisp which was my first dessert "go to" as a newlywed and new cook. Thanks for the reminder of the new series. I too love that show and will look for it. I do the roasted veggies regularly but never added meat. Thanks for the idea! Have a great weekend. We are finally enjoying cooler weather here.

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  10. Your cake looks delicious but the savoury looks even better. I love roasted veg and had never thought of just putting some meat in with it for a complete dinner, so thank you Lorrie. x

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  11. What a delicious post. Now I've got to run to the kitchen and have my breakfast!

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  12. Your beautiful, colorful veggie supper looks beyond delicious! Great experimenting with the crisp topping. You have my gears turning!

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  13. Oh my, it all looks so delicious. I'm with you that the crispy topping is my favourite of any crisp. On top of that too-delicious looking apple cake sounds perfect.

    I'm so glad you shared what's been going on in your kitchen these days.

    Brenda xox

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  14. Yummy ideas...thanks so much, Lorrie! I sent your email on to my little sister, knowing she would love to see the veggies. She was also thrilled with the apple cake. Can't wait to try making both. Much appreciated!

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  15. Your apple cake with topping looks and sounds delicious. We love riasted veggies and I love the idea of adding some chicken or pork chops.

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  16. Your cake recipe is quite similar to one I've made for years. I like nuts but others prefer it without - so I pour half the batter into the 9x12 baking pan - tilting the pan up a little on one end to keep the batter from spreading all over the pan - quickly stir in the nuts and pour that half of the batter into the other end of the pan - leveling it out and the two batters smoosh together - but keep their separate identities in each half. It is easy to see which end has nuts after it is baked, so everyone gets the piece they want. I'll have to try it with the crunchy topping. Happy weekend - isn't this sunshine wonderful? Mt Baker was out yesterday in all her glory.

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  17. You are making me very hungry. They look delicious.

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  18. Oh dear me, Lorrie, the cake looks amazing, and a perfect way to use some extra topping from a crisp. I often have streusel topping leftover when I make muffins, and this is a great idea. I love the Great British Baking Show, too, and sheet pan dinners (so easy!).

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  19. Oh yummm!!! The cake looks wonderful, but it is the sheet pan dinner that makes me want to go into the kitchen and cook right this very minute. I have all that stuff (close anyway).

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  20. I'm going to try that...sprinkling my favorite apple cake with the crisp topping (also stored in the freezer over here). Looks yummy!

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  21. What a delicious idea... I am with you in that the crisp topping is my favorite. What an inspiration to add that to your cake as a topping. I have to tell you, anytime I see a fresh apple cake I immediately think of my Gram (my dad's mother). She was not a great cook, but her apple cakes were famous. Her recipe is almost exactly like yours... though I would have loved the cake even more if she had put apple crisp crumble over the top!!

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  22. You can't go wrong with apple cake and a crumble topping. Yesterday I came across a recipe for a vegan pumpkin crumb cake with pecan crumb topping that I shall be trying very soon. :) Have a blessed Sunday!

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  23. Wait, you have a recipe blog?!? Apple cake + crisp sounds like a divine match. As usual, I'm drooling over your yummy meal.

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  24. Ooh! this looks so delicious, I am also a fan of one pan meals, I must try this. Thanks for sharing.
    Sue

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  25. I all looks quite delicious. The cake reminds me of a cake my mother use to make. I hadn't thought of it in many years.

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  26. Both these sound delicious Lorrie! I make apple crisp throughout the winter too ... yummy :) I like your idea for the pan of veggies and will have to give that a try.

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  27. I love roasted vegetable so I will make them. I'm back to work 2/3 days a week due to teacher shortage. Apple cake (sans nuts) is an excellent choice for our household.

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  28. Sheet pan dinners and freezing extra apple crisp topping----great ideas!! Also the topping on the cake! I need to up my game in the kitchen, these past weeks have been marginal around here.

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  29. I love apples and apple desserts! I also love cubing and roasting vegetables to serve as sides. I never added chicken to the pan so I'll have to try that!

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  30. If I ate the vegetables for dinner I 'd have enough points for your cake. WHICH LOOKS AMAZING

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  31. You got me on both accounts... the dinner and the dessert! Looks wonderful!

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  32. The cake improvements do seem very worthwhile, but I am more likely to make a sheet pan dinner, and your example of that is really appealing - so THANK YOU for the reminder of that easy and satisfying meal.

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  33. Your one pan meal looks and sounds delicious ...

    All the best Jan

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  34. Hello dear Lorrie, I've spent time this morning catching up on your blog. Such encouragement in your words and lovely inspiring images. The large maple leaf reminded me of my own wonderful visit last year. Enjoy this time of fall.

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Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

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