Our readers may remember this delectable Honey Apple Cake from our latest culinary mystery Honey Roasted. Our amateur sleuth, Clare Cosi, serves it up in her landmark Greenwich Village coffeehouse while investigating an especially sticky crime in her neighborhood.
BTW, we are now writing the 20th entry in our Coffeehouse Mystery series to be released next fall. In the meantime, don't miss The Ghost and the Stolen Tears, the brand-new entry in our Haunted Bookshop series, releasing next week!
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Cleo Coyle writes two bestselling mystery series with her husband. To learn more, click here. |
Enjoy this cake as an after-dinner dessert, on your coffee break, or (as our amateur sleuth Clare did in Honey Roasted) a way-past midnight snack! As far as honey, use a good-quality raw honey for amazing flavor. And the best apple for this recipe is Golden Delicious, not to be confused with Red Delicious. Golden Delicious apples are slightly sweet and buttery and an excellent apple for baking.
Eat with joy!
~ Cleo
3 medium apples, peeled (See my note below on type of apple)
1/4 cup honey (For outstanding flavor, I use raw honey)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (do not use fresh)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Step 1 - Prep pan: Fit a 9 x 13-inch pan with a parchment paper sling (see my photo below). The excess paper that hangs over the sides will act as handles and allow you to lift the cooled cake onto a serving platter. (Tip: I like to spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray first to help the paper to stick better to the pan’s bottom and sides.) The sides without paper should be sprayed with non-stick spray also.
Step 2 – Make the honey-apple topping: Shred the peeled apples with a boxed grater or food processor.
Drizzle the final 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey over the cake top. (If using raw honey, warm it a bit for drizzling consistency.)
Serve: Cool the cake in the pan. Gently run a knife between the cake and the pan sides that are not covered with parchment paper (to loosen the cake and prevent sticking); and then use the parchment paper “handles” to gently lift the cake onto a cutting board or serving platter and slice into squares.

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Cleo Coyle’s Honey Roasted
is not only a coffee lover's mystery.
It's a culinary mystery with a tempting
menu of delicious recipes!
Click here or on the image (above)
for Cleo Coyle's Free Recipe Guide
to HONEY ROASTED

Cleo Coyle’s Honey Roasted
is not only a coffee lover's mystery.
It's a culinary mystery with a tempting
menu of delicious recipes!
for Cleo Coyle's Free Recipe Guide
to HONEY ROASTED
of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse.
Cleo Coyle's 19 Books in Order,
click here or on the image below.




























If there's an apple dessert on a menu, that's what I choose. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteA great time of year for apple desserts, MaryAnn, thanks for dropping into the Kitchen today. Cheers!
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Apples are everywhere. My son brought a bushel home and now I know what I can do with some of them. Thanks, Cleo
ReplyDeleteHi, Danni -- Your son is a sweetheart, bringing you a bushel of apples. This is the perfect season for apple picking (and eating). I hope you and your son enjoy today's recipe and the bounty of fall flavors.
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What a scrumptious recipe and lovely photos, too. Thank you for this, Cleo. I am a real fan of Jack Shepard. Say hello for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Raisa, and our ghost Jack Shepard thanks you too! Marc and I are glad to know you're enjoying Jack's sleuthing adventures (with bookseller Penny) in our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. Cheers and we hope you enjoy today's recipe, and THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS!
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I love the dairy free whipped cream. I have no problem with dairy but I LOVE coconut and will give this a try.
ReplyDeleteHi, Joan - I'm not lactose intolerant, either, but I have friends who are, and I try to share dairy-free recipes when I can. The coconut whipped cream is delicious and the PDF includes a bonus recipe. Take note of my tips in the recipe. Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk and watch what brand you use. Two brands worked well for me and one did not, so your mileage may vary. Cheers for stopping by the Kitchen!
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My husband loves apple anything so I will surprise him with this dessert tonight. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. FYI: Keep up the great work. I can't wait for my Ghost and the Stolen Tears to be delivered@
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sally! And thanks especially for pre-ordering THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS. Marc and I (and Jack and Pen) hope you enjoy our brand-new Haunted Bookshop adventure. xoxo
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Hi, Sally -- I hope you and your husband enjoy the HONEY APPLE CAKE, and you are very welcome for the recipe. Sending thanks to YOU for pre-ordering THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS. So glad to know you're excited about a return trip to Jack and Pen's world.
Delete~ Cleo
Thanks for this recipe -- sounds wonderful! I'm thinking that adding some chopped walnuts to the apples might be good, too. Looking forward to your new book!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Tanya, Marc and I appreicate the reader love on our new mystery, and nice idea on the walnuts. Take care and enjoy the bounty of the fall season. xoxo
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Always liked apple desserts, especially Golden Delicious, my favorite. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe. Always liked your writing & Coffee House Mystery. Hallmark Mysteries is releasing some of their new Mystery series, since they have lost some of their stars. Perhaps, you could consider, developing a Coffee House Mystery series with Hallmark Mystery Channel. I have no idea which actress would play the main role?!
ReplyDeleteWonderful recipe! I love apple deserts. My favorite Apple Pie was the pie from Bobo's in Topeka. They had the grandmothers out in a pie bakery and those pies are the stuff of dreams.
ReplyDeleteA little late. On vacation.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great alternative apple cake.