Try this Fresh Apple Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup no-sugar added applesauce
- 2-3 granny smith apples (or other baking apple) cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups total)
- Carbohydrate 482.210826668249 g
- Cholesterol 506.016666660039 mg
- Fat 269.86823343605 g
- Fiber 1.38943329366048 g
- Protein 16.9093466611824 g
- Saturated Fat 125.099317506766 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1514g)
- Sodium 113403.290987319 mg
- Sugar 480.821393374588 g
- Trans Fat 14.1041091678596 g
- Calories 4331 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a Bundt pan with nonstick spray then set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat butter, vegetable oil, and sugar until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add applesauce then beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined before adding the next egg. Add vanilla then beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Remove 2 Tablespoons of flour mixture then toss with cubed apples. Add remaining dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until just combined before adding the next batch, then fold in apples.
- Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Check cake at 20 minutes - if top is turning too brown, place a sheet of non-stick sprayed tin foil on top. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then run a knife along the inner rim and invert cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Garnish cooled cake with powdered sugar.
Dense, tender crumb surrounds pockets of tart fruit beneath a crisp, sugary crust that shatters slightly under the knife. Baking dense fruit cakes requires careful handling of fats and leaveners to achieve structure without toughness. Understanding the mechanics of the batter ensures the final texture remains moist rather than heavy.
Fat Emulsion and Fruit Prep
Beating the softened butter, vegetable oil, and sugar together incorporates microscopic air pockets that expand when exposed to heat. Room temperature butter traps air efficiently, while oil coats the flour proteins to inhibit gluten development. Tossing the diced apples in two tablespoons of reserved flour mixture prevents the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking. Starch molecules adhere to the fruit surfaces, creating friction against the heavy batter.
Judging Doneness and Temperature Control
Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit requires monitoring the exterior color closely around the twenty-minute mark. Covering the top with a greased sheet of aluminum foil stops premature darkening if the sugar caramelizes too fast. Testing doneness relies entirely on visual and tactile cues rather than a thermometer. Insert a wooden skewer into the deepest part of the Bundt pan; it should emerge clean without wet batter clinging to the wood. Letting the baked cake rest for exactly ten minutes in the metal pan allows the structure to firm up enough before inversion onto a wire cooling rack.
