Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake - made February 23, 2014 from Pinch of Yum

I have all sorts of apple cake recipes pinned on my pinterest baking board. Apple is one of the fruit exceptions I bake with. Normally I like my fruit whole and unadorned but apple (and banana) lends itself well to being incorporated into baked goods. Plus it doesn't hurt that you just throw these ingredients together, sprinkle a cinnamon sugar topping over it and let it bake. Nothing could be easier.

The only thing you have to be careful about when baking with apples (and most fruits) is they'll release a lot of moisture (water) into whatever you're baking. That's usually okay but it also means you don't want to underbake anything by very much, if at all, or you'll end up with something wet rather than moist. Knowing that, I really did try to leave this in the oven a few minutes beyond my normal underbaking comfort zone. I could tell the corners and edges were done because the toothpick went in easily. The toothpick poked in the center came out clean so you'd think it would be done but it also encountered more denseness so I knew it wasn't quite as done as the outer edges of the cake. I turned the oven off and left it in there then made myself leave the kitchen or I knew I'd end up hovering and poking a toothpick at the cake every 30 seconds. I lasted another 5 minutes then I had to take it out or suffer a breakdown that I was overbaking a cake.

As it turns out, I should've kept it in there a couple of minutes more (I knew it!) but it wasn't too bad. Still a bit more moist than it should've been but baked enough to be cakey. I used Granny Smith apples so they offered a slight tart contrast to the sweetness of the cake and the cinnamon sugar topping. Their texture was also soft enough to blend well with the softness of the cake. I'd consider this a good brunch cake or a picnic cake. Due to the moistness though, I would recommend cutting it only at the last minute and keeping it well wrapped until you're serving it. Otherwise the cut edges will dry out quickly once exposed to air.

1½ cups brown sugar
⅓ cup oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups flour
1½ cups chopped apples
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Mix ingredients in order given (except the last 3 ingredients).
3. Pour batter into a 9×13 greased pan.
4. Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping and sprinkle it evenly over the batter.
5. Bake for 45 minutes. It’s delicious when served warm!