Easy Apple Cake
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Casey Elsass grew up in New England and frequented a farm in rural New Hampshire for hayrides and what he calls the best apple cake he’s ever had. He shares a recipe for his easy apple cake in his new cookbook, “What Can I Bring?”
“The batter is what you’d expect, with diced apples, sour cream and cinnamon, plus a crunchy topping of chopped walnuts and brown sugar,” writes Elsass. “But the curveball here is apple cider vinegar, which not only adds a ton of great apple flavor, but also gives the cake a lofty, fluffy lift.”
Note: Leftover cake can be covered and left at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the center.
Coat a 9-inch (or 8-inch) springform pan with nonstick spray. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to be safe. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the butter and granulated sugar until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time and whisk hard to add a lot of air to the mixture until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the sour cream and vinegar, and then the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.
Switch to a rubber spatula to fold in the flour and apple pieces until just combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
In a small bowl, pinch the brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon together to combine, then sprinkle evenly over the batter.
Slide the cake into the oven and set a timer for 50 minutes. (If you’re using an 8-inch pan, set the timer for 55 minutes.) The cake should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few crumbs. If not, set a timer for 5 more minutes and check again.
Cool the cake in the pan, about 1 hour, then run an offset spatula (or butter knife) around the rim before releasing. Slide the offset spatula under the bottom of the cake, too, then use it, plus another wider spatula, to slide the cake onto a serving plate. If using powdered sugar, dust the top with the sugar before slicing and serving.
