French Apple Cake @MaddieDayAuthor #Thanksgiving

MADDIE DAY here, with an alternative dessert for Thanksgiving!

No, I'm not asking you (or me) to give up on those delicious pies for turkey day. In my house we always have pumpkin, apple, and pecan. But if you wanted to shake up the dessert table just a little, this cake is elegant, easy, and delicious, and it showcases yummy fall apples.

French Apple Cake

Adapted from a recipe by Jenn Segal

Ingredients

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons dark rum

2-3 baking apples, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (4 cups chopped)

Confectioners' sugar, for decorating cake

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. 

Don't worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. 

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. 

Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. 

Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Isn't that easy - and pretty?

Readers: what's your favorite dessert on Thanksgiving?

🍎🎂🍏

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Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.