By Kara Kimbrough
Finally, it’s fall…the all-too-fleeting season that brings only a few cool days in the south in between heat spells and cold weather. Instead of thinking about ways to incorporate pumpkin spice into everything from coffee to bread, I’ve been dreaming about apples. When fall arrives, there’s nothing more satisfying that a hot apple cider doughnut, thick slice of apple strudel and my latest find, sweet, spongy apple crumb cake.
Finding out that I would be visiting a North Carolina apple orchard this week was almost more exciting than the prospect of touring the Blue Ridge Mountains. An entire afternoon on the packed itinerary was devoted to climbing ladders and picking apples. I’ll describe my trip, including the apple-picking, in next week’s column.
In the meantime, I’ll share one of favorite fall baking recipes. Apple Crumb Cake is easy to prepare and is the perfect snack to enjoy with coffee or even as a quick breakfast. If you’d like the recipes for apple strudel and doughnuts. drop me an email and I’ll send them to you.
So...I’m off to explore the mountains and of course, that apple orchard. Happy fall!
Easy Apple Crumb Cake
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup milk
2 small apples, peeled and chopped
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Combine with a mixer until creamy. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix to combine. The mixture might be a bit crumbly but that is alright. Add the milk all at once and combine until you have a nice cake batter. Pour half of the batter into the prepared 9×9 pan. Top with the chopped apples.
To make the crumb topping, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the other ingredients until you have crumbs. Do not over mix or you will have a paste. Spread half of the crumbs over the top of the apples.
Add the remaining cake batter on top of the apple and crumbs, spread in an even layer. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at [email protected].
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