Knock Your Socks Off Apple Cake

Although I love all the creatures of the dessert kingdom, I admit to being just a bit biased when it comes to fruit desserts. Apples in particular (and peaches. Oh, and plums. I should stop). Since I had a bag of Granny Smith's sitting around looking beautiful and lonely, I knew this cake was in the cards.

This is a very moist cake. And delicious. Did I mention it's actually quite freaking fantastic? With fresh whipped cream? Forget about it. Boy. Too good for it's own...good. I guess what I'm driving at is that it's so good I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like Hollywood from the movie Mannequin, when he describes how the doughnuts call to him.

"Hollywood! Come and get me, Hollywood!"

Yes, that.

Knock Your Socks Off Apple Cake
(Makes one 9" cake adapted from Food Tale)

1 1/2 c sugar (divided)
1/2 c unsalted butter (softened), plus more for greasing the pan
1 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
8ox cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon (divided)
2 1/2 c tart apples (peeled and coarsely chopped)
1/2 a medium sized tart apple (peeled and sliced)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (f) and grease a 9" springform pan (you could also use a round cake pan).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 c sugar, and cream cheese. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, making sure they're well incorporated after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Combine the wet and dry mixtures until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped apples and pour into the greased pan.

In another bowl, combine the 1/4 c sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, then toss the sliced apples in the mixture to coat. Arrange the sliced apples on top of the batter.

Bake four about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean (make sure you're not hitting an apple. You don't want to over-cook it). Cool on a wire rack and serve with fresh whipped cream, powdered sugar, or sliced apples.

Raspberry Crumb Cake

It's nearing grocery shopping time again, which means it's nearing time to clean out the fridge and freezer. I have a few too many packages of frozen fruit, so whatever I was going to make next would need to make good use of at least some of those.  Being particularly fond of raspberries, they were the obvious choice. And seeing as how I don't make cake nearly often enough, that was obvious choice the second.

And can I just say that this is, hands down, the best cake I've ever made? Of course I can, it's my blog.

It's absolutely brilliant topped with freshly-whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, although smart money has me shoveling this into my gob straight from the pan without ceremony.

Raspberry Crumb Cake
(Makes one 9" round cake adapted from lululu)

3 c flour plus 2 Tbsp for coating raspberries (if frozen)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c buttermilk*
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
2 c frozen raspberries (fresh can be used, but leave out the 2 Tbsp extra flour)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (f) and grease a 9" round cake pan (I used a springform).

Mix together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, then set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the first four ingredients for a few seconds until combined. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove one cup of this mixture and set aside for the topping.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Toss the raspberries in the 2 Tbsp flour and carefully fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Add the 2 Tbsp melted butter to the 1 cup of reserved flour mixture and stir with a fork until nice and crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter and then bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes, until a fork inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (make sure you're not hitting a raspberry). Tent the pan if the top browns too fast.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

*As always, if you don't have buttermilk on hand (as I never do) you can make your own by pouring 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (I much prefer lemon juice for this) in a 1 c measuring cup, and then fill it to the top with regular milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then use as you need it.

Viennese Strawberry Cake and Freshly Whipped Cream

Last week my grocer started carrying some of the best looking strawberries I've seen in a while (ok, it's been a while since I've seen fresh strawberries). I love strawberries and eagerly await that time of year when they're fresh and abundant. So when I saw them in the store, I knew I had to make something with them. A lot of something's with them.

I saw a recipe for Viennese plum cake in Taste of Home's comfort food issue and knew right away I wanted to make it, but decided I would use strawberries instead.

It is so good, the sweet embodiment of the coming of Summer. Yes, it's that good.

You could use frozen strawberries for this, but I think the better option would be to simply substitute a fresh seasonal fruit. This cake will work with just about anything, and is really so simple to make. I topped mine with some freshly whipped cream (recipe included) and sliced strawberries.


Viennese Strawberry Cake
(Adapted from Taste of Home's Viennese Plum Cake)
(Serves 8)

For the Cake:
1/2 c butter (softened)
1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt (table salt will be too salty, so if you use it only use 1/4 tsp)
3 c sliced fresh strawberries
1 tsp cinnamon

For the topping:
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c very cold butter (cubed)

For the whipped cream:
1 c heavy whipping cream
Scant 1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Prep: let the eggs sit at room temperature for about a half an hour before you begin. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9"x9" baking dish (glass works best here, if you've got it)

Make the cake:
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then sift once more. In another bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat until light and fluffy 4-5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Pour into the baking dish. Top with the sliced strawberries, then sprinkle the 2 Tbsp of sugar and the cinnamon over the top.

Make the topping.
Sift together the flour and the sugar, then cut in the very cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs (it doesn't have to look very pretty or completely uniform).

Sprinkle over the top of the unbaked cake, then put it in the oven to cook for 50-55 minutes, until golden brown (as with anything else, if your top is getting too brown before your cake is finished, loosely cover the dish with a piece of foil).

Once finished, transfer your cake (in the dish, don't try to take it out) to a wire cooling rack.

Make the whipped cream:
With the whisk attachment on a hand or stand mixer (or just a regular whisk powered by you), whip the cream until nearly stiff. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue whisking until stiff.

Put it all together: Slice off squares of your cake and top with the whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Watch how fast it goes and wish you'd made more.