Glazed Apple Cake
Submitted by babe
Glazed apple cake: silky McIntosh apple purée folded into a warm-spiced batter, topped with fanned Granny Smith slices and a glossy apricot jam glaze. A bakery-style fall dessert.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
40 minCOOK
75 minREADY
140 minTwo apples, two jobs. Sweet, soft McIntosh apples get cooked down into a purée that works its way into the batter, adding moisture and a deep, cooked-apple flavor that raw apple just can’t deliver. Firm, tart Granny Smiths slice thin and fan decoratively across the top, holding their shape through the long bake.
The purée step matters. Cooked apples concentrate as the water evaporates, giving you a fruit-forward backbone in every bite without making the cake soggy. Passing through a food mill strips out any fibrous bits and leaves behind a silky, uniform purée.
Warm fall spices (cinnamon, fresh-grated nutmeg, a whisper of clove) play off the apple and pecan notes. Toasted pecans add crunch that pushes back against the cake’s tender crumb. Skip the toast and they taste raw and grassy.
The apricot jam glaze brushed over the hot cake is the French patisserie trick that turns this from homemade to bakery window. The warm jam sets into a clear, shiny lacquer that seals in moisture and makes the apple slices gleam.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream if you’re going for max indulgence.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh-grated nutmeg, not pre-ground; the flavor is dramatically brighter
- Strain the apricot jam before brushing so no fruit chunks mar the glossy finish
- Press the Granny Smith slices lightly into the batter; they settle as the cake rises
- Toast pecans at 350°F (175°C) for 5-6 minutes until fragrant before chopping
- Cool the cake 20 minutes before releasing the springform; warm cakes crack at the edges
Variations
- Substitute 3 firm pears for the purée and 2 for the top, following the same method
- Swap pecans for walnuts or hazelnuts
- Add a tablespoon of Calvados or rum to the purée for an adult version
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan combine the McIntosh apples with the water and lemon peel, bring the water to a boil and simmer the apples, covered, for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Cook the mixture, uncovered, over moderately high heat, stirring, until the water is almost evaporated.
Force the mixture through a food mill into a bowl, and allow the purée to cool.
Generously butter a 9 inch springform pan and preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a large bowl cream the butter, beat in the sugar and beat the mixture until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and the apple puree.
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
Stir the flour mixture and the pecans gently into the apple mixture and pour the batter into the springform pan.
Peel and core the Granny Smith apples, halve them lengthwise and cut them crosswise into thin slices.
*Arrange the apple slices decoratively in bunches on the batter, pressing them lightly into the batter.
Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1¼ hours, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake to a rack.
In a small saucepan melt the jam over low heat, brush it over the cake and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.
Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and remove the sides of the pan.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream, if desired.
Note: If you prefer, substitute 3 large firm pears to make the fruit puree.
Use 2 firm but ripe unpeeled pears, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into thin slices for the top of the cake.
Press the slices in, keeping the round side of the slices up, and pressing them straight into the batter.
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