An Ode to the Holidays ~ Cranberry, Apple & Spice Cake

 

As cooler weather has come calling, it is nice to wake up to mornings where but for the occasional pine trees, almost all the magnificent trees have surrendered their leaves to the earth below.

And through these trees, the misty air is a visual wall, like curdled buttermilk. It is on such mornings that I long for a splash of color and warm baked goods. Few things lift my spirits like cold weather baking.

So excited have I been about the magnificent results of the Raspberry and almond cake, that we made a few weeks back that I decided that another fresh fruit cake albeit not one with ground up almonds but rather a plethora of spiced up seasonal fruit was in order.

And what would be more seasonal at this moment than fresh cranberries with apples and warm spices?

This is one of those creations that to my mind is as much of a pie as it is a crumble as it is a cake. I suppose the fact that the fresh fruit is heaped in mounds at the base of the dish reminds me very much of a crumble but the batter is indeed that of a cake and yet  the fruit juices that bubble up to the surface of the cake is just so pie like.

Either way. call it what you will, it tastes just as sweet!

 

An electric stand mixer works best if you've got it or use an electric immersion blender like I have.

The earlier night, I macerated the fresh cranberries with powdered sugar & Grand Marnier (orange liquer) overnight to sweeten them.

The next day, gather the remaining ingredients - 

 

Fruit mixture - macerated cranberries listed above, granny smith apple (tart apple), orange (juice & 1/2 of the orange zest), pumpkin spice, ground cinnamon, light brown sugar

Batter - eggs, granulated white sugar, pure vanilla extract, other 1/2 orange zest, sour cream, all purpose flour and salt.

Topping - sliced almonds, 1-1/2 tbs light brown sugar,  ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg.

 You can use a 9" spring foam pan like I have or a pie dish would work too.

Preheat the oven to 325 deg F.

Prepare the ingredients -

 

Apple - Peel, core and chop into 1/4" thick cubes

Orange - Zest an orange (I adore my Microplane zester for this one) which gives me all the zest and none of the pith. Brilliant! Then juice the orange and set both aside separately.

Eggs - Crack the eggs in a bowl, discard the shells.

Butter - In a microwave safe bowl, zap for 30 seconds till melted. Set aside to cool.

Topping - Combine the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

 

In a medium mixing bowl, add the macerated cranberries, chopped apple, 1/2 the orange zest, orange juice, light brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp ground pumpkin spice ina bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

 

 

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand immersion blender) , beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.

 

Add the white granulated sugar, melted butter, pure vanilla extract, other 1/2 of the orange zest and sour cream. beat on medium till just combined.

 

On low speed, slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt. If using a immersion blender stick, add the flour in 3 batches and blend till just combined.

To the chopped up fruit mixture, add 2 tbs all purpose flour & stir. This is to absorb all the fruit juices and prevent it from being too runny.

 
 
Empty the fruit mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch spring foam pan or pie plate and even out.

 

Pour the batter all over the fruit till the fruit is covered. Use a splatula and spread out the batter as best as possible without disturbing the fruit.

 

Sprinkle the topping all over the cake batter.

 
 
If using a spring foam pan (metal) test after 45-50 minutes.  If using a pie dish, test after 55-60 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the middle of a cake and it should come out clean.

The sight of fresh fruit juices bubbling around the edges is heartwarming.

Cut into wedges and serve warm with fresh whipped cream or French Vanilla ice cream. If serving later, microwave each wedge for a few seconds to warm and serve with fresh whipped cream and incream.

 
 
One bite and enter the world of explosive tart-sweet flavors from juicy cranberries and fresh apples all nestled together  in a wonderfully moist cake with a hint of orange.

The almond topping adds just right change of texture to counter balance the smoothness of the cake and juicy cranberries. The whipped cream or ice cream is an absolute must to set off this rustic cake and crumble. 

 

 

Recipe for

Cranberry, Apple & Spice Cake

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Baking time - 55 minutes 

Shopping list  

Cake : 

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1-1/4 cup white sugar 

1 stick butter ( 1/2 cup ), softened

1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

1/2 cup milk ( 2 tbs more if batter is too thick)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp salt  

Fruit mixture:

1-1/2 cup fresh cranberries (macerated overnight with 2 tbs powdered sugar)

1 Golden Delicious apple,

orange zest (from 1/2 orange - use remaining in batter)

orange juice (from 1 orange)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground pumpkin spice in a bowl.

Topping -

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1-1/2 tbs light brown sugar

1/2 tsp  ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Also required is a 9" springfoam pan & non-stick baking spray

Preparation-  

Preheat the oven at 325 deg F. 

Spray a 9" spring foam pan with non-stick baking spray

Apple - Peel, core and chop into 1/4" thick cubes

Orange - Zest an orange (I adore my Microplane zester for this one) which gives me all the zest and none of the pith. Brilliant! Then juice the orange and set both aside separately.

Eggs - Crack the eggs in a bowl, discard the shells.

Butter - In a microwave safe bowl, zap for 30 seconds till melted. Set aside to cool.

Fruit mixture - In a medium mixing bowl, add the macerated cranberries, chopped apple, 1/2 the orange zest, orange juice, light brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp ground pumpkin spice in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

Topping - Combine the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Method:

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand immersion blender) , beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.

Add the white granulated sugar, melted butter, pure vanilla extract, other 1/2 of the orange zest, sour cream & milk. Beat on medium till just combined.

On low speed, slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt. If using a immersion blender stick, add the flour in 2-3 batches and blend till just combined.

To the chopped up fruit mixture, add 2 tbs all purpose flour & stir. This is to absorb all the fruit juices and prevent it from being too runny.

Empty the fruit mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch spring foam pan or pie plate and even out. 

Pour the batter all over the fruit till the fruit is covered. Use a spatula and spread out the batter as best as possible without disturbing the fruit.  

Sprinkle the topping as evenly as possible.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.

Cut into wedges and serve the cake slightly warm or cool with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Enjoy!