Apple Fritter Cake

My favorite donut is an Apple Fritter.  The sweet delicious apples folded into the doughy goodness is so warm and comforting.  While perusing the internet for recipes one day, I came across this recipe for Apple Fritter Cake – which is a soft apple filled cake, with a crispy sugar glaze! Your favorite old fashioned doughnut in cake form!

Ingredients:

For Filling:

2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized chunks) 

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

Plus

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a 1/4 cup each of dark and light)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Cake:

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup greek yogurt (you could use plain yogurt as well or sour cream)

For Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and the apples are a bit soft. Set aside to cool. 

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency. 

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake. Try to pour as evenly as possible. You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly. I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and repoured that over the top. Let the cake sit for a while for the glaze to set before serving.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Individual Pavlova with Whipped Cream & Fresh Fruit

I needed a sweet treat for a dinner I attended recently.  One of our girlfriends is gluten intolerant, so I wanted to find a dessert that would work for all of us.  Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit came to mind.  So, to the internet I ran – and found this recipe here: The Foodie Affair.  It came together quite easily. The sweet meringue combined with the rich whipped cream and fresh fruit was a hit with the girls.  I will be making these again!

Ingredients:

5 Egg Whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar superfine (blend regular sugar if you don’t have superfine)

Whipped Cream Filing

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 cups assorted fruits (I used strawberries, blueberries and kiwi)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For same size nests, draw 3 inch circles on the parchment paper and turn the paper upside down.

Pavlova Nests:

Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter, and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Put meringue in a pastry bag with a decorator tip (recommend Wilton 1M). Outline the nests and fill the bottoms with meringue. Build up the nests with two rows of meringue.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the nests are dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the nests in the oven for 2 hours to continue to dry out.

Whipped Cream Filling:

Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form. Pipe the filling into the nests.

Top with fruit and enjoy right away.

Note: I didn’t get fancy by piping the meringue or whipped cream filling.  I simply used a scoop to ensure equal sized meringues.  Then, I used a spoon to create the nest.  For the whipped cream filling, I used a spoon to fill the next and then placed the fruit on top of that.  Although not showing the picture, ultimately I placed a dollop of whipped cream on top of the fruit as well.

The nests can be made and stored in airtight containers for several days before serving. The whipped cream filling can be made a day before filling the nests. Assemble right before enjoying, so the whipped cream does not soften the meringue nests.

Click HERE for printable recipe.