Fall is, hopefully, just around the corner! It’s my favorite season: not too cold outside but just cool enough to wear warm cozy clothes, the air feels fresher and the tree leaves change color into a beautiful fiery red. And, most importantly, we can finally go outside and have fun without feeling like we are melting from under the scorching sun. You might have guessed that summer is probably not my favorite time of the year. The heat is too extreme and the sun is way too strong!
I digress. With fall comes apples. Because I hate apple sauce and don’t particularly enjoy most apple pies or apple turnovers, people tend to think that I do not like apples. That is not true. I eat one every day after lunch. It’s crunchy, sweet and tart at the same time. It’s awesome! What I do not enjoy with some apple based dessert is that they take away what makes the apple so great: its crunchiness. I want my apples to still have a bite! Also, there is something with apples that make people go crazy with the cinnamon. Personally, I find the taste of cinnamon to be overwhelming. If you use too much, you will not taste anything else but the cinnamon. Cinnamon is like bananas. If you put too much of it in a recipe, that’s all you’re going to taste afterwards. Then, what’s the point?
But, I digress again… My favorite dessert to bake during fall is the apple crumble cake. That cake is great because you can eat it guilt-free anytime during the day, from breakfast to late-night snack. Like most of my desserts, I prefer to make small individual portions rather than a big one. It’s a question of aesthetics and practicality. Big cakes are only pretty before you cut them. Afterward, they turn into a crumbling mess. Also, they take forever to bake. Smaller, individual portions not only stay pretty but also guaranty that everybody get an equal amount. So no jealousy.
It took a while to find the perfect recipe for my taste; I had to mix a few recipes together and, after a few trials and error, this one is my favorite so far.
Apple crumble cake
Makes 8 rectangular mini cakes or 14 to 16 muffin-size cakes
INGREDIENTS
Crumble
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup roasted pecans, chopped
2 green apples, peeled and cubed
1/2 a lemon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
Grease the tin of your choice (mine makes 8 individual 9 x 6 x 3.5 cm rectangular cakes) and coat it with granulated sugar.
Start by making the crumble: in a bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and melted butter. Then stir in the flour, using a fork. Mix until all the ingredient are incorporated. The crumble will be dry and thick, and if big chunks are forming, good! They’re the best! Set the bowl aside.
Peel the apples and chop them into cubes. Most recipes will ask you to make sure that all the cubes are the same size. That allows you to make sure that all the apple pieces will bake equally. However, I don’t care for that. I just peel and cut the apples up. If the cubes are not the same size, what you will get is more texture! Some apple pieces will be softer while others will keep their crunch. Drizzle the juice of half a lemon over the apples and mix thoroughly so they don’t turn brown while you prepare the rest of the cake. Set aside.
Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars with a stand mixer, at medium-high speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at the time. Beat well after each addition.
Add the vanilla extract and yogurt. Beat at medium-high speed until incorporated, 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the flour and the milk to the mixture in alternative steps, starting with the flour. Mix until just combined.
Gently fold in the apples and the pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Spoon the crumble on top of the batter and slightly press it down into the batter with your hands. This step is important because it prevents the crumble from falling out of the cake while it bakes.
Bake until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the pan and transfer them on a wire rack so they cool completely.
Look at that crumble on top! Doesn’t it look delicious? The big chunks are the best!
VARIATIONS
If you enjoy the taste of cinnamon, you could add more to the crumble and add a teaspoon into the batter mixture (or more to taste). What you could also do is, in step 2, mix some cinnamon with the granulated sugar and use that mixture to coat the pan!
If you want to add a little something to your cake, caramel sauce or a simple vanilla glaze (confectioners' sugar mixed with cream and vanilla extract) will do the trick. But if you’re tired or feel lazy, go for a generous scoop of good vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy!