Browned Butter Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

  • Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

    Yes, it’s that time of year.
    The time of year to embrace all that apple and cake have to offer… ideally melded together into one fluffy, buttery, cinnamon-scented coffee cake of autumnal goodness.  (Is it possible to say that something is fluffy and rich at the same time?  I wanted to say rich a moment ago, and then thought that you wouldn’t believe me, that you’d think I was confused in the midst of a 350° baking stupor.  But I mean it.  This cake is rich and moist, yet is also fluffy at the same time.  Kind of like how it’s so good… and so bad at the same time.)

    Coffee cakes are wonderful things, aren’t they?  I think it’s the crumbly topping that gives a cake permission to call itself a part of the coffee tribe, but I’m not sure (and I’m too lazy to look up the surely lengthy and riveting history of coffee cakes online right now).  The next time around on this cake (and there will be one soon, most definitely) I will layer some of the crumbly topping into the middle of the batter, but forgot to do it in this cake.  No matter- more crumbly fun on top.

    Cheers to the first day of fall today… apple cake, apple pie, apple crisp, maybe even Apple Jacks crumbled over ice cream in a pinch.  (Not so sure about that, but it might be fun.)

    From The Apple Lover’s Cookbook…Browned Butter Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Piece

    CRUMBLY TOPPING:

    1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    3 tablespoons salted butter (cold, cut into 1/2″ cubes)

    1/2 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

    8 apple sliced, unpeeled (for garnish)

    CAKE:

    2/3 cup butter (salted)

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

    1/2 cup sugar (the white stuff)

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)

    1 egg, plus 1 yolk

    1 cup buttermilk

    2 medium apples (peeled, cored, chopped into 1/2″ cubes)

    1. TOPPING:  In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, flour and cinnaom together.  Cut butter in to form a crumbly mixture (use your food processor if you are lazy like me- pulse a few times).  Stir cinnamon chips in (if using) and place bowl in fridge while you make the cake batter.
    2. CAKE: Preheat oven to 350° and butter/grease a 9″ cake pan with removable sides (if you happen to have one like this; if not a regular cake pan will suffice).
    3. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and cook until it turns a medium brown (swirling every few minutes) for about 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
    4. In a large bowl, whisk flour, both sugars, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.  In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg & egg yolk, then whisk in buttermilk and browned butter.  Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir to combine.  Fold in apple cubes and pour batter into prepared pan (stopping halfway to sprinkle some of the crumbly topping in a layer if you want, then pouring the rest of the batter overtop).  Sprinkle the cake with the topping and arrange apple slices around the top, pressing gently to secure them.
    5. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes (until top is golden brown and cake tester comes out clean).  Allow to cool on a rack for 20 minutes, and use a thin knife to loosen the sides from the edge of the pan.  Remove the sides (if you used that type of pan), transfer to a platter and serve.

    Tips:

    • The kind of apple to use depends on what you prefer, I think.  They say that a tender-sweet apple works well, like a Fuji or Gala.  Your call, I do believe.
    • The topping might seem quite floury/crumbly, but as long as your butter pieces are small (like the size of peas as the biggest chunks), you’ll be fine.
    • A word on browned butter: once you’ve made it, you’ll understand.  It adds such a depth of flavor, and nothing compares to it.  Think of the smell of baking shortbread (like the Classic Shortbread Cookie– so easy, so simple, and yet so heavenly)- when butter bakes, the skies open up and angels come out to lap up the finished product.  Watch the butter closely once it starts to brown.  It’ll burn quickly so don’t go and flip through Bon Appetit magazine when your butter is sputtering on the stove.  And DO use all of the nutty browned bits on the bottom of the pan- that’s where so much of the flavor is!  (Unless it’s dark brown char, in which case you’ll just have to start over.  Sorry.)
    • No buttermilk?  You can make your own by pouring a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup (less 1 tablespoon) of regular milk.  Let it sit for a few and it’ll be sort of like the real thing.
    • Cinnamon chips?  I can’t tell you how incredible the ones are from King Arthur Flour.  Really, they transform any cinnamon-related dish for me.
    • Fresh nutmeg is world’s apart from jarred nutmeg- so get a few nuts and keep them on hand to grate into your recipes from now on.  They are cheap, too- added bonus.
    • Good things come to those who wait.  This cake tastes better on day 2, and even day 3.  (But I don’t advise that you wait to break into your first piece, because a still-warm apple coffee cake is a force to contend with.  Let me tell you.)
    • Garnishes?  This cake needs nothing else to make it special.  But if you aren’t happy with just cake, how about serving this with ice cream (vanilla or coffee flavor would rock), or a bit of fresh whipped cream?  Maybe even caramel sauce drizzled over the top.  That’s crazy enough to work.

     

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    September 22nd, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: ,

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