Double Apple Bundt Cake

This cake was so good that it made me want to throw up a little.  Not a bad throw up, but a good one.  Trust me, that exists.  And no, I'm not pregnant.  The smell in the apartment after I baked this cake made it seem as if there was an apple candle in every room.  It smelled a little too good to be true, but the cake tasted just as good as it smelled.

Why yes, that was a delicious Mimosa I was sipping on.  It helped make the baking of the cake even more fun than it usually would have been.  I would definitely recommend sipping on a nice Mimosa next time you are baking something.  Before you start judging my drinking habits, I had a bottle of bubbly that was already open from my friends coming over the day before.  You can't let the bubbles go flat.  That's just unethical treatment of bubbly. 

 

The stars of this show are the apples and the apple butter; hence, the "double" in the name.  We got the goods from an orchard near Baraboo called Ski-Hi.  I love apple season and fall in general, so one of my favorite things to do this time of year is to go apple picking.  Usually, Brad and I will go to a U-Pick orchard, but this is the first time we've visited an orchard that did not allow you to pick your apples yourself.  On this particular occasion I was fine with that as the day was "freeze your balls off" cold.  In other words, it was unseasonably cold.   

One more tangent, and then we'll start baking.  Have you ever cooked or baked anything for anyone and not had them at least feign enjoyment and gratitude?  Sounds weird, right?  Well, I made this cake for a co-worker's birthday, and when I told her I had baked her a cake her reaction was, "Oh, okay."  I've worked with this lady for several years off and on, and usually my mom is the one who bakes her birthday cake.  Usually the cake is just a box mix from the store.  I guess I should have said, "I baked you a damn delicious cake from scratch!"  Maybe I would have had a better reaction that way.  In the end, she did manage to be somewhat appreciative when she took the cake home to share with her family; although the appreciation seemed forced.  Note to self: next year, just buy the box mix. 

First, you want to grease your bundt pan.  The recipe calls for you to butter the pan - I'm assuming this gives the cake more flavor - so I refrained from spraying it even though that would have been a lot easier.  This will probably get a bit messy since you'll need to use your fingers or some parchment to get the butter into all of the little nooks and crannies.   

Before peeling the apples, I core them with one of those circle, coring thingies.  I kind of suck at peeling, so this helps get the apple down to manageable sizes.  What would be really cool is one of those peelers where you turn the crank and it does all the work for you, but I'm no stranger to manual labor so I really don't mind.  Your hands might cramp up a bit, but that's because of all the love that you're putting into your peeling.  Feel the love and embrace it.

Look at all those apple peels you have left!  Goodness gracious.  This might be a nice treat for your dog or a horse, if you have one.  I have neither, so I was FORCED to eat them myself.  Woe is me.  Delicious apple peels.  You could also throw them out, but that would be a waste of some pretty scrumptious appleness.  Don't waste appleness.  

The next part is pretty cool.  You get to grate the apples.  I suppose you can use whatever grating apparatus works best for you.  I chose my food processor because it was the fastest and messiest option.  Okay, I didn't really choose it because it was the messiest, that was just an added bonus.  If you're thinking that it seems weird to grate the apples to put in the cake, I was totally with you on that one.  However, it's no different than shredding carrots for a carrot cake.  When you shred the fruit, it ensures that there is apple flavor permeating the cake, because, get this, it MELTS into the cake.  It's really a great idea, and it's what makes the cake so apple-y and delectable.  

Once you've prepared the apples and prepped the pan and oven, you're ready to start making the cake.  I used fresh nutmeg for this recipe.  As I mentioned in my previous post, if you don't have fresh nutmeg, you can use pre-ground nutmeg.  Since I now have a bajillion little nutmegs in my spice cupboard, I decided to use fresh.  Plus, look how pretty it is.  Yes, I am also obsessed with the beauty of nutmeg.  This is not my first nutmeg picture, nor will it be my last!  Just take a sip of that Mimosa, and continue reading. 

The stand mixer is ideal for mixing the cake batter, but you can also use a hand mixer with a large bowl.  If you are using a stand mixer, you'll want to use the paddle attachment rather than the whisk.  As is almost always the case with baking, we start by creaming together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes at medium speed.  Then, we add one egg at a time and beat for about 1 minute after each addition.  Now it's apple butter time.  With the mixer on low, add in the apple butter.  This will make the batter thinner and it will look like it's curdle-y, but that's just fine.  After the butter is mixed in, add the apples.   The last step with the aid of the mixer is to add in the dry ingredients.  Don't over mix the dry ingredients, just mix until they are incorporated into the rest of the batter, and stop.  

Now we just stir in the chopped nuts and golden raisins.  I prefer pecans to walnuts, but you can use walnuts if that's what you prefer (even though you're wrong).  The raisins don't need to be golden, they just need to be plump and moist (please forgive the word).  I've used baking raisins before and I'm sure those would work nicely as well.  I didn't use baking raisins only because I remember them being fairly expensive and coming in a tiny quantity.  I'm sure the color of the raisins will not make or break this cake. 

Now you're ready for the best part: baking the cake.  Why is this the best part, you may ask?  Simply because it makes the whole house smell like you want to eat it.  I promise, the smell of this cake baking will not disappoint.  The cake bakes until a thin knife inserted deep in the center of it, comes out clean.  Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before flipping it out onto a large plate or platter.  If you can wait to eat it, let the cake cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight.  This way, you'll give the flavors a chance to do their magic in this cake.  I couldn't wait, but next time I think I'll give this a try.  Trust me, that's easier said than done.

If you'd like to skip the icing that I did, just dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving.  This will add just a touch of sweetness and make your cake look irresistibly good.  I chose to give the icing a try.  The icing was very simple to make.  Brad felt that the whole cake needed a thin layer of icing, so I might double or even triple the recipe next time.  Gotta make the hubby happy.  

This was a truly fantastic recipe.  I would venture so far as to say it is the quintessential fall apple recipe.  Give it a try, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.  'Til next time, ciao!

Up next: Dutch Apple Cheese Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust

Double Apple Bundt Cake

"Baking: From My Home to Yours" Dorie Greenspan

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 c. apple butter - spiced or plain

2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and grated

1 c. pecans or walnut, chopped

1/2 c. plump, moist raisins (dark or golden)

Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

For the icing (optional)

1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

About 2 T. fresh orange or lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter a 9- to 10- inch Bundt pan.  If the pan is not nonstick, dust the interior of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.  Important: do not place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet as the heat needs to be able to get through the inner tube.  

Whisk together the dry ingredients, spices, and salt.  

Working with either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on a medium speed for about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs in one at a time, and mix each into the batter for about 1 minute.  Reduce the speed to low and beat in the apple butter, grated apples, and mix to completely blend.  Add the dry ingredients, but mix them only until they disappear into the batter.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the nuts and raisins.  Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with your spatula. 

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a thin knife inserted deep in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, and then turn the cake out onto a plate or platter.  Let the cake cook to room temperature.  If possible, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and let sit overnight to ripen the flavors.  Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving or top with the optional icing.

To make the icing: Put the sugar in a small bowl and stir in a squirt or two of fresh lemon or orange juice (I used orange).  Keep adding the juice a little at a time until the icing falls easily off the tip of the spoon.  Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake and let it slide down the sides of the cake in whatever pattern it makes.  Let the cake stand until the icing dries before slicing.