Spiced Apple Bundt Cake w/maple cream cheese frosting

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Spiced Apple Bundt Cake w/maple cream cheese frosting

I love apple pie, and pumpkin pie (and key lime pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie, and pie! pie! pie!) but as the time of leftovers approaches I’ve come to appreciate a dessert that gets better on the second day and is still really good on days three and four. This apple cake is that dessert. And, just like pie, it makes a wonderful breakfast.

Cake for breakfast

I’ll leave you sweet reminders, not just crumbs,

you deserve more than that. A slice

to start your day, to soften

coffee’s bitter bite, tea’s tannins. A slice

spiced and frosted, dappled with apples. A slice

left over, just for you.

 

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake w/maple cream cheese frosting

adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking “Pumpkin Spice Cake”

ingredients

for the cake

• 1 stick unsalted butter- soft enough to smoosh but not above 65F
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) dark brown sugar firmly packed
• 2 eggs- lightly whisked together
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 medium apples shredded (I used granny smith, but any tart baking apple works well) and tossed in 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup buttermilk- at room temperature

for the frosting

• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 ounces cream cheese, ideally at room temperature
• 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar- sifted
• 2-5 tablespoons real maple syrup

directions

1. butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan and set aside
2. preheat the oven to 350F
3. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer beat together the butter and the brown sugar on medium high until lighter in color and visibly fluffy about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure all the bits from the bottom are mixing in about half way through. (Wanna learn more? see the notes for a link)
4. Add the vanilla to the eggs and slowly incorporate into the butter sugar, scraping down about halfway through
5. Add the apples and mix until throughly incorporate rated
6. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and with the mixer on low add one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk, add another third of the flour mix, and then the remaining buttermilk and the last of the flour. Turn off the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smooth the top and bake on the center rack for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes before inverting onto the serving platter to cool completely.
9. To make the frosting combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer or food processor (I like the food processor for this) and blend until smooth- not mostly smooth but completely smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and mix throughly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add maple syrup a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency and flavor.  I like the frosting just pourable so that you can still get it to “frosting” thickness while achieving a glaze’s drip look

Can be made a day ahead. I think it’s better on the second day.

notes-

about the flour: I opted for this combo because I wanted a bit of the earthiness of wheat flour but still a tender cake crumb. The original recipe call for cake flour which would give a lighter result. I’d do all AP flour or even all WW pastry flour but I wouldn’t use hard whole wheat for fear of the dense sort of cakes and muffins that turned to cement in my mouth when I was subjected to them in my youth.

an apple cider reduction instead of the maple syrup would be awesome and probably what I would’ve done if I had cider in the house and not just a ton of apples.

speaking of apples I don’t peel mine, I wash them throughly but I like the taste of apple peel.

king further flour has an excellent blog post about creaming butter and sugar

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Spiced Apple Bundt Cake w/maple cream cheese frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

cooling time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Ingredients

  

for the cake

• 1 stick unsalted butter- soft enough to smoosh but not above 65F
• 1 1/2 cups 12 ounces dark brown sugar firmly packed
• 2 eggs- lightly whisked together
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 medium apples shredded I used granny smith, but any tart baking apple works well and tossed in 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup buttermilk- at room temperature

for the frosting

• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 ounces cream cheese ideally at room temperature
• 1 cup 4 ounces confectioners’ sugar- sifted
• 2-5 tablespoons real maple syrup

Instructions

 

• butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan and set aside
• preheat the oven to 350F
• Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer beat together the butter and the brown sugar on medium high until lighter in color and visibly fluffy about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure all the bits from the bottom are mixing in about half way through. (Wanna learn more? see the notes for a link)
• Add the vanilla to the eggs and slowly incorporate into the butter sugar, scraping down about halfway through
• Add the apples and mix until throughly incorporate rated
• Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and with the mixer on low add one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk, add another third of the flour mix, and then the remaining buttermilk and the last of the flour. Turn off the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand.
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smooth the top and bake on the center rack for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes before inverting onto the serving platter to cool completely.
• To make the frosting combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer or food processor (I like the food processor for this) and blend until smooth- not mostly smooth but completely smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and mix throughly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add maple syrup a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency and flavor. I like the frosting just pourable so that you can still get it to “frosting” thickness while achieving a glaze’s drip look
• Can be made a day ahead. I think it’s better on the second day.

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