Dutch Apple Kefir Cake

September 19, 2012 | No Comments

A good friend gave me a large bag full of delicious crisp apples the other day. We have been just slicing them for snacks, for the last couple days. Today I had something different in mind, I was in the mood to bake a cake. I wanted my cake to have a succulent, moist crumb with Autumn spices, and plenty of delicious apples.

I was in the kitchen preparing to bake my cake, by peeling, coring and slicing apples by hand. If you have ever seen my knife skills, you would definitely fear for my fingers. Dominic came into the kitchen to refresh his tea and saw me peeling an apple with a very sharp paring knife, at a snails pace. He suggested using our apple, corer, peeler would be easier than doing it by hand. I think he was thinking safer too. I told him I did not know where it was. He looked in a couple places and found it in less than five minutes. He is my hero.

My wonderful inlaws gave me this amazing invention years ago, I think while Dominic and I were still dating. They always give me such great gifts, but I think the greatest gift they have given me is still Dominic. He made swift work of clamping the apple gadget to our table, and then gave me a refresher course in how to use it. I was amazed, and proceeded to core, peel and slice over twenty apples in no time at all.

I made this cake as well as two freezer bags full of apple pie filling. Next time I bake this cake, I will soak the raisins for five minutes before I bake them, because some of them were crispy critters, when the cake was done.

Dominic is not a dessert person, and is not a cake person, he is a pie person. He snacked on this cake all day long, so that in itself is a high compliment. Then when I sat down to write this post, he asked nonchalantly if I wanted a piece of cake. Of course I said, yes please. He gave me a piece, and took one for himself. I am thrilled with how delicious this cake is. This cake is adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, Dutch Apple Cake recipe. How are you using your apples, during this prolific apple season?

Dutch Apple Cake

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Jillian

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup kefir(substitute milk, sour cream, or yogurt)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
6-7 cored, peeled and sliced crisp apples
Topping:
1 cup demerra sugar
1 heaping Tbsp cinnamon
2 handfuls of raisins soaked in apple juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Core, peel slice 6-7 apples, and place in lightly salted water, or lemon juice, to prevent them from premature browning
Add all dry ingredients to bowl
Whisk dry ingredients to combine
Melt butter in bowl, (I used a pyrex 4 cup glass measuring cup)
Add kefir to bowl or measuring cup
Add beaten egg to kefir butter mix
Whisk wet ingredients until combined
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients
Butter and flour 8×8 pan
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and fold together until just combined
Pour in thick batter, making sure to push it into the corners
Place, or pour apples on top of batter, layers should be a couple apples deep
Sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and raisins, liberally over top of apple layers
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
Enjoy alone or with whipped cream or ice cream(we ate it alone and it was scrumptious)

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Tags: apple juice, cake, cinnamon, crisp apples, kefir, milk, moist, organic cane sugar, plain organic yogurt, raisins, sea salt, sour cream, the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, unbleached all purpose flour, vanilla extract, white whole wheat flour

Categories: Desserts, Quick Breads