Mostly Apples Cake

Things are definitely feeling very autumnal here now. The leaves are all turning brilliant colors and falling off the trees and the temperatures are definitely much lower than they have been. The air is filled with the crisp scent of "October." That's what I call it anyways, it is the heady scent of woodsmoke, leaves, pumpkins and apples.

Its time to break out the woolen blankets and sweaters. I have been burning my apple scented candle here all morning and it feels and smells all cozy in my little place. The spicy smell of a fresh apple cake also adds to the ambiance! It's apple season! Yay!

Today's recipe is a small batch recipe that I adapted from one I found in Yossy Arefi's baking book entitled Snacking Cakes. Every single cake I have baked from that book is amazing. If you don't already have the book, you need to get it!
I see she has a new book coming out in November. I will probably be buying that one as well. Its called Snacking Bakes and sounds very promising. Cookies, bars and squares.

As I said every cake I have baked from this book is amazing. I was in the mood for an apple cake so I thought I would bake her Mostly Apples Cake. I am only one person however, so I decided to adapt it and small-batch it to make a much smaller cake. The original was a 9-inch square cake.
I cut the recipe in half and it fit perfectly in my 9 by 5-inch loaf tin.
What you have here is an incredibly moist apple cake that is, as the name states, mostly apples, bound together with a sweet and spicy batter. I used pecans in it as well and I glazed it with a sweet maple coffee drizzle icing. Can you say FABULOUS? I hope so!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MOSTLY APPLES CAKE
Aside from apples and nuts, some very basic kitchen ingredients.

For the cake:

1/3 cup (75g) soft dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large free range egg
1/2 TBS Whiskey (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp instant espresso powder (optional) (see note)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (70g) all purpose plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 small apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup (40g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

For the drizzle glaze:

1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar
1 TBS pure maple syrup
1 TBS milk
1/4 tsp instant espresso powder (see note)
pinch salt

You want to use a nice tart baking apple for this cake. One that will hold it's shape in the cake, but still soften when baked. She recommends Mutsu, Jonathan, and McIntosh. All of those have brilliant flavors. I used Gravensteins which are also an amazing cooking apple
The original recipe called for walnuts, but you can also use pecans or hazelnuts. I used pecans and I toasted them first.
HOW TO TOAST NUTS
You can toast nuts in a hot skillet of course, but I believe that the best way is in an oven simply spread your nuts out in a single layer on a baking tray and toast in a moderate oven (350 to 375*F/180 to 190*C) for about 8 minutes. You will know when they are done as your kitchen will smell nice and nutty.
Make sure you allow them to cool before you use them in recipes. I like to toast my nuts a whole bag at a time and then store them in the freezer for use whenever I am in need of nuts.

HOW TO MAKE A MOSTLY APPLES SNACK CAKE
One thing I really love about snack cakes is their ease of preparation. There is no faffing about. They go together quickly and easily.
Make the cake first. Take a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and butter it well. Line it with some baking parchment so that you have an overhang on the two long sides. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
Beat the egg and brown sugar together until light and foamy. Beat in the oil, whiskey (if using), cinnamon, nutmeg, espresso powder (if using) and salt.
Sift the flour, soda, and baking powder together. Add this to the creamed mixture and whisk together until smooth and well combined. Fold in the apples and 1/2 of the nuts.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, leveling it off and sprinkle the remaining nuts over top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check and if necessary bake for 5 minutes longer. (It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. There may be a bit of moisture on the toothpick from the apples.)
Leave to cool in the pan for five minutes, then lift out and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk all of the ingredients for the glaze together to make a smooth drizzle glaze. Drizzle this over the cooled cake. Cut into thick slices to serve. The cake keeps well for up to 2 days.

Notes

I didn't have any instant espresso powder so I took a heaped TBS of instant coffee and whisked it together with 1/2 TBS of boiling water. I added half of it to the cake and the other half to the drizzle icing.

This cake smells amazing when it is baking. I found myself wondering what it would be like with fudge or caramel pieces added to it, or with a caramel icing drizzled over top. I am thinking that would be really nice.
I also wondered what it would be like with some sweet raisins or dried currants added. I think they would be excellent additions, or even some caramel chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.

As it is though, this is one very delicious cake. Nice and moist with plenty of apples and a nice toasty crunch from the nuts. That drizzle glaze is a really nice addition as well.
This was just the perfect size for me. If you are a small family I predict it will be the perfect size for you also! It keeps at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two days. I don't think it would freeze all that well because of the pieces of apple, but I could be wrong!

If you are a fan of autumn flavors and cakes, you might also enjoy the following:
BUTTERMILK MAPLE SPICE CAKE - This cake uses a combination of plain and whole wheat flours. There is no sugar in it, it is sweetened merely by Maple syrup, which gives it a beautiful flavor. The use of buttermilk makes it incredibly moist. There is no need for a frosting. I simply dust the finished cake with some icing sugar.
BROWNED BUTTER FROSTED APPLESAUCE SPICE CAKE - Browned butter in the frosting adds a lovely flavor to this moist, spicy and delicious cake. Studded with plenty of raisins. Quick and easy to make and beautifully spiced. This is a family favorite!
Yield: Makes one 9 by 4 inch cakeAuthor: Marie Rayner