First Apple Cake of the Season

Can it be October already?
Hard to believe I am not posting a tomato (or beet) recipe.

I love this simple apple cake, nothing fancy, I don't even peel the apples anymore.

I use local, Oldwick, NJ apples. Gala, Golden Delicious, Cortland or Granny Smith for my cakes and pies.

*side note: I know everyone loves those Honeycrisp apples (not me...too sweet), however, they are NOT good for baking, just remember that when your cake doesn't turn out right.

All you need here are 2 apples and I know you have the rest of the ingredients in the house.

Make this cake. It's the only apple cake recipe you will ever need.

Best eaten warm, about an hour after baking.

Happy fall.

A Simple Apple Cake (from Canal House Cooking, Vol. 7)

8 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 - 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for the top
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup whole milk,
grated zest of 2 small lemons, preferably organic
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced (I leave the peels on)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter a 9" springform pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, zest, egg and vanilla until light and creamy.

Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and slowly incorporate them into the wet batter.

Add in the milk and mix another minute.

Spread this batter into your buttered cake tin.

Arrange the apple slices however you like, I do mine in a concentric pattern.

Sprinkle the top with sugar (I used cinnamon-sugar this time).

Bake 45-50 minutes, depending on your oven.

Let cool 10 minutes and then unmold from the pan.

Serve with whipped cream or naked.

I LOVE this cake.

Simple is always best. :)