Bready or Not: Apples and Honey Cake
Yes, yet another delicious version of apple cake. This Apples and Honey Cake uses apple butter, giving it a darker, moister crumb and a deeper infusion of spices.
This is truly a wonderful breakfast cake or a portable snack cake to tote along to work on school. It’s not messy to eat, and it’s refreshing and filling.
Note that, because of the apple butter, the top is dark in color, so don’t use the coloration to judge doneness in the oven. Rely on the good old toothpick test in the middle.
Bready or Not: Apples and Honey Cake
Equipment
- 9×9 pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 2 medium baking apples such as Honeycrisp or Cortland
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup apple butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- Peel and dice up the apples. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, apple butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs, creating a smooth mixture. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Fold in the apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, chilling in fridge to speed the process if desired, then use the foil to lift the cake onto a cutting board for easier slicing.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen for weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Custard Cake
This newest entry in my series of apple cakes is on the fancier side. This Apple Custard Cake is light, airy, and loaded with fruit. It truly does have a gourmet vibe.
While it’s not difficult to make, it is tedious to construct. This is a recipe that dirties a lot of dishes. Bowl after bowl after bowl. That said, the result truly is something special.
If you’re going to go through a lot of fuss, it should be worthwhile, right?
Bready or Not Original: Apple Custard Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- parchment paper
- uneven spatula
Ingredients
- 4 medium baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Cortland
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 medium lemon zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs divided
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk or half & half
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup white sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the disc of the springform pan. Use nonstick spray on pan. Add the cut parchment paper. Spray again over the paper, making sure to cover the sides of the ring.
- Thinly slice the apples. Place them with the raisins in a big bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to place in bowl; use any remaining juice for something outside of the recipe. Add all of the zest, the cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir to coat the fruit. Set aside for a while; there are a lot of other bowls to dirty.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, the baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, beat together 2 of the eggs with the 2/3 cup sugar, until they are thickened and pale. Add the vanilla. Measure out the milk and oil. Take turns adding the milk and oil to the egg mixture alternatively with the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Add 1 cup of the batter along with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until just combined. Set aside to use for the topping.
- Fold the apple bowl contents into the main batter and mix until everything is coated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to spread the reserved batter over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup white sugar over the top of the cake.
- Place the cake on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. The edges should be pulling away from the sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the inner ring. Pop the release to open the pan and lift away the ring to allow it to cool more.
- Cake can be kept wrapped at room temperature or in the fridge. Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen for weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake
Need a smaller portion apple cake? Use your loaf pan! This Dutch Apple Loaf Cake has a crumble topping that is a bit messy, sure, but it’s also delicious.
I used three small apples in this cake, which came to about 2 cups diced up. That would probably equal two mediums or one really huge apple. You have more wiggle room in this recipe’s fruit content than you would in, say, an apple pie where the volume is more obvious.
This is an especially nice recipe to cut into slices and freeze for later. They thaw fast, too, making them great to pack for the road to enjoy on a trip or for a snack or lunch–though remember, they might be a little crumbly, so maybe eat where the birds can enjoy those crumbs.
Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
- parchment paper
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold, cut up
Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups apple pieces peeled and diced (about 3 small apples)
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
Mix topping
- Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Tuck into fridge while the loaf is made.
Create loaf cake
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit into loaf pan like a sling, the paper extending up both long sides. apply nonstick spray into middle.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add the buttermilk and vanilla.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in the apple pieces and the walnuts. Pour batter into the pan and even out. Sprinkle topping mix to cover.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan before using the parchment to lift the cake onto a rack. Keep stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or otherwise covered. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not: Easy Pear Bundt Cake
Some bundt cakes are super complicated with long lists of ingredients. This Pear Bundt Cake is not. It takes about 10 minutes to throw together, and only has four ingredients plus optional confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle on top.
This is a cheap cake to make, too. I bought Aldi’s classic white cake mix and found pears for under a buck (originating in South Africa, which was a first for me) with the discount foods at Menards. Then the eggs–well, those prices seem to fluctuate all over these days. But hey, maybe save the egg yolks from this recipe to make a Big Batch of Chocolate Chip Shortbread?
I must note something important about this recipe, too–the cake is lovely and soft. So soft that you should use a sharp knife to cut it, and also, the cake should be eaten within the day. The pear juice, I think, just keeps breaking down the interior crumb as the cake sits around. So, serve this for a crowd. I didn’t test freezing this cake, as I do many cakes, but because it is so moist, I don’t think it would be a good candidate for that.
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking 2021.
Bready or Not: Easy Pear Bundt Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan
- nonstick spray with flour
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned pear halves in light syrup
- 15.25 ounce white cake mix box
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg whites
- confectioners' sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Use nonstick spray with flour on the interior of a bundt pan.
- Drain the pears, reserving the syrup. Mash the pears with a fork to break into small chunks.
- In a large bowl, reunite the mashed pears with the syrup. Add the cake mix, egg, and two egg whites. Beat for several minutes to fully incorporate and create a light batter.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test. Cool for 20 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack to completely cool.
- If desired, sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Cut into slices with a sharp knife (seriously, the cake is very soft) and enjoy! Cake is best if eaten within a day.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
This luscious Cider Pound Cake, made in a tube pan, is great by itself or eaten alongside fruit and/or ice cream.
There are no apples in this cake. That means it’s fast and easy to make, too. No peeling, or dicing or grating. Instead, the recipe relies on sparkling apple cider for sweetness and gentle flavor.
“Sparkling cider” means nonalcoholic. That doesn’t mean you should use any old apple juice, though. Apple cider has more flavor and heft (i.e. not so watery). I used a seasonal version from Aldi that is all Honeycrisp, but any basic sparkling cider will do!
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking Magazine 2021.
Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
Equipment
- large tube pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sparkling apple cider
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon sparkling apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a tune pan with nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Add the eggs in sequence, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Gradually add it to the large bowl along with the apple cider, going back and forth in increments. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Once the cake is cool, in a small bowl, combine the three glaze ingredients to make a thick but moveable glaze. Dribble over cake so that it oozes over sides.
- Let set at least 30 minutes before cutting. Store under a cake dome or cut into individual slices to encase in plastic wrap.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cookie Butter Pound Cake
This Cookie Butter Pound Cake, topped with a Cookie Butter Glaze, is lush, indulgent, and oh so good.
Because someone always asks, “What’s cookie butter?” The answer is: an addictive substance found near the peanut butter in most every grocery store in America; even my local Walmart has it in the main Biscoff brand or as a Walmart generic, and Trader Joe’s calls it Speculoos. It’s essentially pulverized cookies and oil. It has the exact same texture as peanut butter and can substitute for it in most any recipe. There is nothing healthy about it and it is incredibly delicious.
Cookie butter makes everything taste more inherently like cookie dough. In this recipe, you have cookie dough in the cake batter, in the glaze, and actual cookies crumbled on top. If you love cookie butter, this is your recipe–and if you haven’t had it yet, prepare to be converted.
Modified from Bake from Scratch September-October 2023 issue.
Bready or Not: Cookie Butter Pound Cake
Equipment
- large bundt cake pan (15 cups)
- baking spray with flour
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup cookie butter
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup milk or half & half, room temperature
Cookie Butter Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup cookie butter
- 1/4 cup milk or half & half
- 2 Biscoff cookies crushed, for garnish
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray with flour to a large (15 cup) bundt pan.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, sugars, and cookie butter until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow up with vanilla.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet, alternatively adding in the milk as well. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
- Spoon batter into the greased pan. Even out the batter over the top.
- Bake for an hour to an hour and 5 minutes, until the middle of the cake passes the toothpick test. Let it cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the confectioners’ sugar, cookie butter, and milk. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until it is nice and smooth; if it is too loose, add more confectioners’ sugar, and if it’s too thick, add a touch more milk. Immediately drizzle over cake to form thick drizzles. Crush the two Biscoff cookies and crumble them over the top.
- Store cake under a cake dome, or cut into individual slices to encase in plastic wrap.
OM NOM NOM!
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