Monday, March 20, 2023

Spicy Apple Cake




I came across the recipe when a quart of milk went sour in my refrigerator. I hate to waste food, so I searched online for recipes that required sour milk in their ingredients--you would be surprised how many recipes there are that use sour milk! I found this Apple Cake recipe, and after some adjustments that I made in the spice content to make it even more flavorful, it became a family favorite!

It's full of warm spices like cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice, and has a sugary, crusty, nut topping.  It's made in a 9 by 13-inch pan, and just a small square slice of the cake is very satisfying.  


Spicy Apple Cake

Ingredients

Topping:


1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2  cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Cake:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon* 
2 teaspoons cardamom*
1/2  teaspoon ginger*
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves*
1/2 teaspoon allspice*

*  This recipe can be customized to suit your preferences; start by making substitutions of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon if you want to increase the amount of one spice or swap out a different one. If you like it heavy on the cinnamon, use a little more.

1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup sour milk* (see below how to make sour milk)
2 cups apples - peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces.** 

* To make sour milk, measure one cup of milk into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vinegar or lemon juice, and enough milk to equal 1 cup (250 mL). Stir and let stand for 5 minutes before using. This will give the right amount of acidity for the recipe

** I like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith green apples for this cake as I find their flavor works well with the spices, and they won’t go totally mushy.


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

Make the topping: Mix together walnuts, both sugars, and all spices together in a bowl.

Make the cake: Mix together flour, both sugars, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the sour milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, then fold in chopped apples.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle topping mixture evenly over top.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.



 

Spicy Apple Cake fresh out of the oven!




The cake is delicious when served warm or cold. 

I hope you will also enjoy it!



As you can see in the photo collage above, I made a Spicy Apple Cake as part of our dessert for our St. Patrick's Day celebration. They were served along with Italian pastries which are specially made for St. Joseph's Feast Day, celebrated on March 19th every year.  Two delicious food traditions!




Happy Spring!

The snow has all melted in our Colorado Front Range area for now, but with all the storms coming across from the Pacific this year that may not last long.  It was a winter full of good snowpack for the Rocky Mountains and soon we will see if it will also be a cold and wet spring.  I am looking forward to seeing new deer fawns, daffodils growing, and the trees beginning to bud soon.   

How is the weather where you are?




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29 comments:

William Kendall said...

That sounds good!

eileeninmd said...

Happy Spring! Your cake looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Beautiful landscape! Take care, enjoy your day! Have a wonderful new week!

Donna Reidland said...

I wish I had a piece of this with my coffee this morning!

ellen b. said...

That cake sounds delicious. Looks like you celebrated St. Patrick's day well. A very Happy First Day of Spring to you!!

Linda W. said...

Oh my gosh, this looks wonderful! I have a freezer full of apples from our tree that I need to start doing something with. This looks like a good recipe to try.

Jeanie said...

All my favorite spices in one cake! I may need to make this one soon!

Tom said...

...I grew up in a house where food was never wasted. Your apple cake looks great. Happy spring to you, Pat.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's nice here today but a little breezy..high in the 60s. I love apple muffins and would like this recipe. Enjoy your day...first day of Spring! And thanks too for being such a sweet friend and reading the article about us. Hugs, Diane

Lydia C. Lee said...

That last shot is lovely - such a crisp blue sky! #BlueMonday

Joanne said...

OH that cake sounds delicious!! Your whole St. Patrick's day feast looks delicious.

stevebethere said...

Now that apple cake LQQKS absolutely delicious I will be over in about an hour to pick up a slice heheh! :-)

Have an applecaketastic week Pat 👍

Tea With Jennifer said...

That looks absolutely delicious! I'm with you I don't like wasting any food either.

You're most welcome to join me in a cuppa at Tea With Jennifer & maybe bring a few slices of that amazing looking cake with you, lol!
Jennifer

handmade by amalia said...

My kind of treat. Yum.
Amalia
xo

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Happy Spring Pat! I hope April is a wonderful month for you (I know I'm early with that wish, but I've been so slow reading blogs lately, it won't hurt to get ahead for once!).... That cake looks wonderful -- I remember learning that hint for souring milk a long time ago when I did a lot of baking (back then with all our kids, we would never have had milk go sour by accident!). Your St Patrick/St Joseph Day feast looks delicious, every bite.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I did write a longer comment but won't repeat in case it did go (I got a funny error message). Main thing -- the cake looks amazing and so does the whole St Patrick's/St Joseph's Day dinner. Yum. Thanks for sharing.

Lillian "sognafaret" said...

You made me hungry

NCSue said...

Oh yum! That sounds so tasty.
Thanks for sharing the recipe at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/03/labneh-love-it.html

Jim said...

Great scenery.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Wow, that looks delicious, do you deliver???

XmasDolly said...

I've been in a baking mood lately, so I may just try your recipe. Do you remember friendship bread. I've been looking for the recipe. Do you happen to have it that maybe you can share with me??? THANKS

Heidrun said...

Thank you for sharing your mosaics at

MosaicMonday

Have a good weekend.

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Oh my, but that looks delicious!! I'll pay the shipping! :) Have a grand weekend! Cathy

Alana said...

Happy spring to you! I make an apple/honey cake each September and again in December. I may try making your cake when apple season rolls around again.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

It FINALLY stopped raining in S CA. Beautiful rock formations and sky!

Little Wandering Wren said...

It's apple pie and custard weather here in the UK, your Spicy Apple Cake looks yummy and like it would go well with custard, which I always have to have in a British winter! It's been wet here, but I'm not complaining as just about to return to Thailand at it's a steamy hot time of the year!
Have a lovely weekend Pat!
Wren x

My Tata's Cottage said...

That cake looks wonderful. I was searching applesauce cake recipes. We watch old TV shows like Murder She wrote. In an episode Jessica Fletchers friend had her grandmother's Applesauce Cake recipe. I searched high and low and even purchased the Murder She Wrote cookbook. No applesauce cake. Drat! But I am happy I stopped by. Thank you and Happy Pink Saturday to you. Have a wonderful weekend.

Lowcarb team member said...

That cake looks great and a wonderful mix of warm spices.

Enjoy your weekend.

All the best Jan

Gillena Cox said...

Well done!!!
My post is HERE

Much💜love

Rambling Woods said...

Yes, happy spring to you too. I am so happy and looking forward to being able to get out and look at what’s going on in the garden. And when I can, I’m going to make an apple cake because I really enjoy them. Michelle.