Maybe you're like me and have had a deep rooted desire to bake an apple cake in a Star of David shaped pan since you were little. Or perhaps you showed up to a Chanukah party once empty-handed and wished that you had brought a cake in the shape of a Jewish Star. If you have never felt that way, feel free to stop reading right now. But if you love a bit of kitsch and a lot of cake, then keep scrolling.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these bundt pans this month. And while it looks like it would be tough to bake in (soooo many edges), the right amount of baking spray--and some magic with a pastry brush--will make it disaster-free.
This apple cake is made in one bowl. This cake tastes like fall. This cake is moist and cinnamony and full of sugar. This cake can be baked in any shape that you desire so for those of you who don't have a Chanukah party to attend (I have many, if you would like to join), make it in a square, a cupcake, a layer cake, a parallelogram, and bring it to one of the many holiday-like events you will have this winter.
Sidenote: Some of you may be thinking, hey, Betsy uses a lot of Nordicware products for baking, why? The quality is great, the items are fun, they are nearly all made down the street from me, and I am also fortunate to have access to some of these fun items as a blogger.
Apple Cake
from King Arthur Flour
2 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9/10 cup bundt pan or 9" x 13" pan. Make sure to use a spray made for baking. And if making in a bundt, use a pastry brush to get the spray into every crevice.
Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly.
Add the apples and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with your wet fingers.
Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it.
