Monday, June 7, 2010

Apple pecan coffee cake with cinnamon sugar topping

Apple pecan coffee cake with cinnamon sugar topping / Bolo de maçã e pecã com cobertura de açúcar e canela

I’ve come to a conclusion: one can’t bake too many apple cakes – especially now that they’re in season here in Brazil and the prices are really good. :)

Don’t be scared by the three different steps in this recipe: they’re all simple and I’m sure you’ll love the result – the crunchy pecans go beautifully well with the soft apple bits. Yum!

Apple pecan coffee cake with cinnamon sugar topping
slightly adapted from The All-American Dessert Book

Pecans:
1 cup (110g) pecans, coarsely chopped
2 ½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, slightly softened

Cake:
3 ½ cups peeled, cored and diced (1/3in) flavorful apples – I used Gala
1/3 cup (58g) packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups (420g) all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
generous ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (174g) plain yogurt
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 22x32cm (9x13in) baking pan*.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a medium bowl, stir together the pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup and butter until the pecans are coated. Spread the pecan mixture on the foil liked sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, for 9 to 14 minutes or until nicely browned. Let cool completely then chop into ¼ in bits – the pecans will keep, stored airtight, at room temperature for several days.
In a large bowl thoroughly stir together the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar until lightened and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in half the dry ingredients just until thoroughly incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the yogurt and vanilla, beating just until evenly incorporated. Beating on low, add the remaining dry ingredients, then beat in medium speed until evenly blended – batter will be stiff.
Spoon half the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly to the edges with a buttered palette knife, the layer will be thin. Using a slotted spoon and shaking off any excess juice, distribute the apple mixture over the batter. Sprinkle with the pecans then spoon the remaining batter over the apples and pecans, spreading it to the edges – the batter will seem skimpy. Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the cake.
Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is well browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely – I dusted the cake with a little icing sugar to make it look nicer. :)

The cake will keep, stored airtight in a cool place, for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for 2-3 days or longer – let it come to room temperature before serving.

* I halved the recipe above and used a 20cm (8in) round cake pan, with a removable bottom; I lined the bottom of the pan with baking paper and buttered the paper as well to make unmolding easier

Serves 12

29 comments:

Anh said...

so true about baking with apples! ;)

pam said...

Beautiful and delicious, as usual!

Abby said...

Apples and pecans - so Southern of you! Ha. Beautiful! That topping is calling my name!

WendyinKK said...

I love anything with apples

Katie said...

The name alone had me frooling, but the photos - WOW. I couldn't agree more that one can never have too many apple cakes

Suelle said...

This sounds really interesting, especially the treatment of the nuts, and as usual, your photograph is beautiful!

Valen said...

This cake looks heavenly with that filling and topping! Yum

Valérie I♥Cakes said...

This cake looks delicious and there is nothing simpler and more crowd-pleasing than apple cake, especially with cinnamon !

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I agree that you can't make too many apple cakes there are so many delicious choices:D

M. said...

there can never be too many apple cakes baked :)
I love apple and pecan combination, looks super yummy :)

Patty said...

What a lovely autumn cake. I live in the tropics right now and apples are an imported luxury that I crave all the time. Thank you for sharing this delicious cake - enjoy the bounty!

lauren said...

What a great recipe! I love your blog, and thanks for visiting ours ;)

DaniBrava said...

I just made the milk chocolate cookies you made earlier! Mine came out significantly more "cracked" on the surface than yours but oh-my-goodness they're goooood! What great recipe :)

Love the blog!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Anh, aren't apples wonderful? :)

Pam, thank you, sweetie!
xx

Abby, you are right! I'm all the way here in Brazil, using an American Dessert cookbook. :)
Thank you, darling!

Wendy, me too! :)

Katie, thank you, dearie! I'm so glad you like the photo! :)

Suelle, thank you! The sort of praliné made with the pecans is delicious.

Valen, thank you! I almost ate all the filling before making the cake. :)

Valérie, apples and cinnamon are great together, indeed. Thank you, sweetie!
xx

Bellini Valli, thank you! :)

M., thank you! I'm so glad you like it!

Patty, we're lucky to have good apples here, both Brazilian and Argentinian.
Thank you, darling!

Lauren, I LOVE your blog! Love, love, love! :)
Thank you for stopping by!

Dani, that is wonderful news! I'm so glad the recipe worked out for you - tks for letting me know!
xx

eatme_delicious said...

Mmm this looks so soft and delicious. I love apples in cakes. And especially the way they've been layered into this cake.

Chef Dennis Littley said...

I love pecans, and this cake looks too good....i can see it now my wife will have one slice and I will eat the whole thing!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hi, sweetie! I love baking with apples too - and here the pecans add such a nice texture.
Thank you!

Chef Dennis, thank you for stopping by! Hope you give it a go - especially for your wife. :)

Angela said...

Buonissima Io amo la Cannella

Poonam J said...

Tried this recipe, it came out very delicious, liked apple pecan combination. Thank you for sharing.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hi Poonam, I'm so glad the recipe worked out for you - thank YOU for letting me know!

Katherine Schweigh said...

I made this today for Father's Day since I know my dad loves his apples. I hadn't baked in a while but this was easy to make and the long process was a treat amidst exam procrastination.
It was delicious! For me, the apple juices combined a little with the batter to make a lovely custard and the buttery crust was divine.
I love your website and I come here to get all of my baking recipes! (There are so many - Where else do I need look?)
Thanks for the continually wholesome cake recipes, I can't wait to try my next one.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hey, Katherine!
It was such a joy to receive your comment, thank you!
I'm so glad to hear the cake was a success, thank YOU for letting me know how it turned out!
You are far too kind. <3
xx

Anonymous said...

I made this delicious apple cake and took it to work today. It got rave reviews and was considered to be even better than apple pie. Thank you Patricia! I just love your blog.

Heather Peskin said...

I did not mean to be anonymous in my comment- I checked the wrong box. My name is Heather and I live in Brooklyn, NY.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Dear Heather, I'm so glad to hear you liked the recipe! And the blog! <3
Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me!
xx

Patricia Scarpin said...

Dear Heather, I'm so glad to hear you liked the recipe! And the blog! <3
Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me!
xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia,

I made this cake yesterday and it came out so delicious. Tender cake, moist flavorful apples, crunchy nutty pecans; what's not to love. When I saw that you start by making candy to put in the middle of the cake I knew I had to bake it. I don't have an 8" cake pan with a removable bottom so I used an 8" springform pan. It worked very well.

My husband who favors apple desserts thought it was wonderful.

Thank you so very much for sharing all these delicious recipes and for photographing them so compellingly. You're the best!

Yours,

Ellen

Marljong said...

Delightful apple cake! Soft crumb with silkiness from the apples and crunchy, yet gentle texture of the pecans take it up a notch! So yummy anytime of day or event! Thanks for sharing!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Marljong, I am so happy you like it! Thank you so much for letting me know! xx

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