Apple Spice Cake

I want to bake everything pumpkin and apple in the fall, not surprising, right? I have made many different versions of muffins, loaves, cakes, etc. over the years but I wanted to try a different recipe for an apple loaf. I have a rich, dense pumpkin loaf I love. This time I wanted an apple loaf that that fluffy, light and full of fall spices. Instead of reading recipes, altering and combining to find what I wanted, I decided to make something up on the spot and hope for the best. The results? An airy, apple filled loaf, with just a touch of sweetness and exactly what I was looking for. I brought the loaf into work to test on staff and hear their thoughts. It barely lasted long enough for me to get a piece, so I decided this recipe was a keeper! This recipe made 2 loaves.

Ingredients

1C Butter (softened)

3/4C Sugar

1/2C Brown sugar

1C Milk

2 Eggs

4 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Allspice

3C Flour

1C Skor pieces, walnuts or pecan (optional)

2 Medium Apples (I used MacIntosh)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Start by peeling, coring and dicing the apples. Put into a bowl with 1 tsp Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Nutmeg and 2 Tsbp brown Sugar. Set aside.

Mix softened butter until it’s smoother. Add both sugars and mix until light and fluffy. Add in your eggs and combine. Then slowly add the milk and mix. Add in the baking powder and baking soda, then your spices, mixing throughout. Slowly add in the flour, combining each cup before adding the next. Once all the ingredients are well combined, add in your skor bits or nuts and gently mix until combined. Fold in the diced apples. Be careful to mix well while not overdoing it as over mixing the flour will cause your loaf to be more dense and hard then fluffy.

Grease or line your loaf pans with parchment paper. Equally fill both pans. I like to sprinkle some skor bits on top if I didn’t put in the batter. It gives an incredible crust. Place the pans in the oven and cook for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool fully before slicing. Cutting too soon will make this loaf fall apart because it is so soft and fluffy. This loaf can be frozen and defrosted for future use. You can freeze as a whole loaf, or slice first and portion into smaller containers. Enjoy!