September 18

Before my food blogging days when having people over for dinner required tried and true recipes rather than an excuse to test new recipes on other people, this apple cake was my go-to desert. Unsurprisingly, it is a Smitten Kitchen recipe. Surprisingly, the first time I made it, I was convinced that I had done something horribly wrong. The original recipe instructs you to pour the batter into the tin, and there is no way (in the half a dozen times I have made this) to pour this batter. It is thick. Most of the time, I spread the batter with a wooden spoon, sometimes even using my fingers to distribute it evenly. Anyway, I should have trusted the Smitten because despite my initial doubts, this cake is absolutely delicious time and time again. It’s a total crowd pleaser.


This is also unbelievable given the number of times I have miscalculated or forgotten ingredients. I can’t tell you the number of times I have realized that I accidentally doubled the baking powder, forgotten an egg, or doubled the orange juice as the cake was already baking away in the oven. There I’d be, fingers crossed, hoping that the dessert that I promised to serve didn’t turn out to be a disaster. While I don’t encourage you to forget or mis-measure ingredients, this is a very forgiving recipe, which is something I am always grateful for. It also doesn’t hurt that I almost always have all of the ingredients for this on hand, making it perfect for a last-minute guest or invitation.

The cake is moist, just sweet enough, and the apples are perfectly cooked and stud the top and inside of the cake generously. It’s not overly cinnamon-y so if you want a spicier cake, feel free to add some nutmeg, ginger or cloves. The outside of the cake has a nice, slightly crusty texture and while I’ll miss my berry galettes and stone fruit treats, I have to admit that apples are pretty great too. With the shelves exploring with tons of varieties of fresh, crunchy apples, this is the perfect time of year for apple cake.