Sweet Sunday

When fall hits (which it clearly hasn't in Southern California where it's still a sweaty 86 as I type), I crave apples. Maybe it's because I'm a born and raised Washingtonian that grows apples from far and wide but nonetheless, there is something about warm, gooey apple desserts that scream fall goodness.

I found this amazing Apple Bundt Cake over at a FarmGirl's Dabbles and personally think that it needs to be in everyone's fall baking rotation. It's moist, dense and filled with cinnamon-apple yumminess. The glaze is just plain fantastic, too. Its texture is thick and silky smooth. And the brown-butter lends it a deep almost caramel-like flavor, while the vanilla bean speckles tempt in the sweetest of ways.

~Apple Bundt with Brown-Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze~

Serves 12

 

Ingredients:

 

for the apple bundt:
1 T. butter and some flour for preparing the pan
4 medium apples – peeled, cored, & shredded (use the big holes on your grater), to make about 3-1/2 cups shredded apples – a mixture is best, maybe 2 Granny Smith, 1 Gala, and 1 McIntosh
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1-1/3 c. white sugar, divided
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
4 large eggs
1/2 c. apple cider
2 tsp. vanilla

 

for the brown-butter vanilla bean glaze:2 to 3 T. half and half
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
vanilla bean seeds scraped from 1/2 a vanilla bean (split bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds)
4 oz. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

 

Directions:

 

For cake:

1) Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan by smearing butter over every little nook and cranny of its interior. Then add some flour and tilt your pan so flour sticks to all of the buttery surface. Set pan aside.

 

2) Stir the shredded apple with lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the white sugar. Set aside.

 

3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

 

4) In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining 1 cup white sugar, brown sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, apple cider, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Then add the flour mixture and combine once again. Add the apples and mix until the apples are evenly distributed.

 

5) Pour into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto your serving platter.

 

For glaze: If you are going to top the cake with the glaze, start making the glaze immediately, while the cake is still warm!

 

1) First, pour 3 tablespoons of half and half into a small bowl and set aside. This is just to take the chill off, while you prepare the rest of the glaze.

 

2) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sifted (don’t skip the sifting!) powdered sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside.

 

3) In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the butter until golden brown. It should smell delicious and toasty. If it smells burnt, you went too far! This should take about 6 to 8 minutes.

 

4) Carefully pour browned butter into the powdered sugar and vanilla bean seeds, leaving the darkened butter sediment behind. Add 2 tablespoons of the half and half, then add the vanilla. Stir vigorously until smooth. You want the glaze to be somewhat thick, but easily pourable. If it seems too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of half and half.

 

5) Pour the glaze over the cake while both the glaze and cake are still warm!! The glaze cools quickly, so don’t delay! Let the glaze set. Then slice and enjoy!

 

Another option for serving this cake would be to finish it with a simple dusting of powdered sugar once it is cool. A dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream would also be very good.

 

The cake fares well on the counter for a few days, covered with a cake dome.

Source: A Farmgirls Dabbles – The Bundt was adapted from Wanda’s Country Home. The glaze was adapted from Martha Stewart.