Thursday, October 4, 2012

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake


Sometimes you just have to stop and celebrate autumn, even if just for a moment.

The Picky Eater and I are still adjusting to our new “normal” life after his hospital visit. I’m amazed at how much time is consumed with adjusting medications, follow-up doctors’ appointments, and shifting to a more heart-healthy diet, plus writing deadlines and teaching. Thank goodness I’ve written a number of articles in the past about nutritious eating, so I know what to look out for when cooking or eating at a restaurant. I would hate to think about how much more time-consuming this would be trying to learn it all from scratch!

Unfortunately, my blog has taken a backseat to the rest of life for now. However, I did have this recipe ready to post last week before our unscheduled hospital detour. Hopefully next week I’ll be able to return to blogging normal, this time featuring some recipes adjusted to fit The Picky Eater’s new plan.
 

To me, autumn means apples fresh from the tree (or in my case, farmers market.) I developed this coffee cake recipe eight years ago for a magazine that had a photo they wanted to use but needed a recipe to go with the image. This morning treat is like having apple pie in cake form, thanks to the delicious layer of apples that is found in the middle.

When it comes to baking, not all apples are the same. Some will turn to mush.  For this recipe, I used Golden Delicious, a sweet all-purpose apple. Other all-purpose varieties that would taste nice in this coffee cake include sweet Fuji apples, tart Granny Smiths, or Honey Crisps, with their combination of sweet and tart. Just keep in mind you may need to adjust the amount of sugar used in the filling depending on the sweetness of the apples.

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Serves 9

Filling:
3 Golden Delicious or other baking apple, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Juice of half a lemon

Batter:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spay the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside

Place filling ingredients into a medium bowl and toss well until the apples are coated. Set aside.

For the batter, in a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, blend the softened butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the apple filling on top of the batter, and then drop the remaining batter by spoonfuls over the top. (You won’t think you have enough batter, but don’t worry. You do!)

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping, suing your fingers to break up the butter until the mixture is combined but crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the middle of the cake comes out fairly clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Best served warm.

 

3 comments:

  1. That's quite the decision to forgo surgery at the moment. Hoping everything works out. Can't go wrong with apples and cake.
    -Gina-

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  2. Gina, you're right, it was a big decision. Thank goodness he's feeling great right now!

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  3. ... and what a nice way to settle back in. Apple crumb cake is one of our favorite Fall coffee/tea time treats. We've just made one of the first trips to the orchard for a bag of apples ... this would be lovely for a Sunday brunch too! Hmmm! You've got me thinking, Linda!

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