Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake
Try this Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 2 cups peeled chopped apples (recipe suggested macintosh i used an empire, a cortland, a golden delicious and a macoun. i told you i had a lot of apples).
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice>
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon
- Carbohydrate 46.0960939848164 g
- Cholesterol 93.1427083713717 mg
- Fat 35.1053302431303 g
- Fiber 0.622110613051087 g
- Protein 4.02185940549577 g
- Saturated Fat 22.1227853762297 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -10 serving (134g)
- Sodium 587.887110445216 mg
- Sugar 45.4739833717653 g
- Trans Fat 2.50886934706655 g
- Calories 509 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil or butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Combine the melted butter and brown sugar, beating well by hand or using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture - batter will be stiff. Fold in chopped apples, lemon juice and lemon peel.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until the cake is golden and a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Pulling a golden cake from a 350-degree oven requires watching the timer closely around the 45-minute mark to prevent the exterior from over-browning before the dense crumb sets. Dense fruit cakes rooted in early American baking traditions rely heavily on the natural moisture of the fruit rather than added liquid dairy to maintain their structure over several days. Mixing firmer varieties like Empire or Cortland with sweeter ones balances the acid profile naturally, yielding a more complex fruit flavor without altering the sugar ratios. Whisking melted butter directly into packed brown sugar creates a rich, caramel-like base typical of mid-century farmhouse desserts. Folding the stiff batter gently prevents gluten overdevelopment, which keeps the crumb tender despite the heavy load of fruit. Testing doneness without a thermometer involves inserting a thin paring knife into the center; resistance should be minimal and the blade must emerge completely free of wet batter. Storing the finished dessert at room temperature under a cake dome for up to two days allows the moisture to distribute evenly throughout the dense crumb.
