Food52
It’s apple season! A fruit that honestly I'm pretty tired of; but, they are around and they are abundant and when they’re good they’re good. This cake has all the fall hits; cinnamon, cardamom, maple syrup, flannels. Apples are a tough one for me. When they see heat, they become leathery and almost unsightly inedible to me. The great thing about this cake is that it sauces itself, dressing the apples and keeping the cake moist. When it comes to the spices to use; use whatever you want. Obviously cinnamon is everywhere in the fall and for pretty good reason, it’s warming and it goes a long way when cooked with. A spice that I find to be often swept under the rug is cardamom. Cardamom is a seed, native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is more citrusy and herbal which compliment apples like Wayne compliments Nicki. The type of apple that you use really doesn’t matter, but what does matter is that it is not the best apple you can find. Like all fruit in baking, you really want to find fruit that is a little dinged up. Really good in season fruits and vegetables should just be eaten raw. Galas are aplenty and everywhere so they are really I think the best choice. Some contenders; Honey Golds, fujis, red delicious. I would honestly stay away from baking with granny smith and honey crisps. They should be eaten raw, honey crisps just like a normal apple and granny smiths shaved thinly on a salad. Maple Syrup. Real maple syrup is gross. Sorry I actually do make the rules because it’s my recipe. Use it if you want but I won't be. Corn syrup is also gross, which is the bulk of mass consumer maple syrup. Find one in the middle that you like and go for it. No cake is better than pie, but it is faster than pie. The great thing is that this tastes like fall apple pie in a quarter of a time. Serve it with vanilla ice cream (the best ice cream, don't come for me). It’s a good time and so is fall.
