Rustic Apple Cake

On Tuesday afternoon, Ella wasn’t feeling that great, so instead of heading to the library as usual, we stayed home.

It was overcast, and Ella set up shop at the dining room table with a new puzzle from my parents and a Ramona audiobook, and Ani sat on the countertop with me and helped peel apples for a cake.

Star’s nap stretched out a little longer than normal, and while the cake baked, making the house smell amazing, we all worked together on the puzzle and listened to Ramona’s antics (I LOVE Stockard Channing as the narrator of the whole Ramona series).

When the cake had come out and cooled a bit and Star had woken up, we ate warm slices of it on the back patio and the air smelled like the rain that would come in later that night.

Basically, it was my idea of a perfect September day.

This cake is one I’ve been making for several years, and I love that it’s not overly sweet, and it’s about half apples, half cake.

You can totally justify it for breakfast, or add some ice cream and caramel sauce for a dessert.

Either way, your house will smell ridiculously amazing.

Rustic Apple Cake
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table)

Makes 1 8-inch round cake

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
4 apples of different varieties, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Grease an 8 inch round pan and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy, then add the sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the molasses, water, and both extracts. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then half the melted butter, then the remaining flour and butter. Whisk until you have a smooth, thick batter.

Fold in the apples and pour batter into prepared pan, spreading with a spatula or spoon until it’s fairly even.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the pan, wait until the cake is completely cooled.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain for breakfast.