The only professional sport I regularly watch on TV is football. I used to follow tennis since it’s the sport I play, and I still tune in for a Grand Slam now and then. My maternal grandfather introduced me to football when I was about seven, sitting me down one Saturday afternoon to explain the game. It was a Penn State game—he grew up near State College, Pennsylvania, and many family members attended there. He was a devoted fan and even resembled the coach at the time, Joe Paterno.
My grandfather also rooted for Army after serving in World War II, and he took me to an Army game when I was a teenager. My grandmother introduced me to tailgating—she would unfold the back of the station wagon and set everything up. They also held season tickets to the Giants for many years, so I naturally grew up a Giants fan. I married a big Steelers fan, so on Sundays in the fall and much of the winter we look forward to staying home and watching football together.
Sometimes friends join us, sometimes we watch at someone else’s house, and sometimes it’s just the two of us. Most Sundays you’ll find me in the kitchen making soup and squeezing in some meal prep during halftime. I also get creative while sitting in front of the TV. This past Sunday I came up with an idea for a new apple cake and decided to test it out in time for Rosh Hashana. Fortunately, I had plenty of willing taste testers.
I felt confident about this cake because I adapted an earlier loaf recipe (a blueberry-lemon loaf with cornmeal crumb topping) and topped it with sliced apples and a crumb topping from my cookbook with a few tweaks. The result was wonderful—a moist, well-spiced cake with tender apples and a crunchy, crumbly top. As with my other desserts, I try to keep the sugar as low as possible while maintaining a familiar taste, so this cake is not overly sweet. It’s perfect for brunch or as a dessert.
I didn’t test this cake a dozen ways as I often do with recipes I teach, but I can offer substitution suggestions if needed. In the photos I used Jovial Foods einkorn flour, which I’ve grown fond of (this is not sponsored). I’m cautious about modern wheat, oats and the related glyphosate exposure unless a product has been tested. Einkorn is an ancient wheat that still contains gluten, but Jovial’s einkorn is grown glyphosate-free in Italy and I substitute it one-for-one for regular wheat flour. The recipe also includes gluten-free swap options.
If you need a dairy-free version, this cake works well: the batter uses olive oil, and the topping can be made with either butter or a vegan butter (I use Miyoko’s Creamery). Olive oil keeps the cake moist and adds a subtle fruitiness without an overt olive taste. The cake has three main steps—making the batter, peeling and slicing the apples, and preparing the topping—so it’s not the quickest bake, but the effort is worthwhile. It’s a crowd-pleaser and a lovely way to welcome the season. Wishing you a sweet new year. XO
I love seeing your recreations—please tag me @pamelasalzman #pamelasalzman on Instagram so I can admire them. Thank you!
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Apple Crumble Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup maple sugar or light brown sugar
- ¾ cup oat flour, or whole wheat pastry, spelt, einkorn, or a combo of GF oat flour and Jovial GF Flour
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter or vegan butter, cut into pieces
- Cake:
- 3 sweet apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, tossed with a little orange juice or apple brandy (Calvados) to prevent browning
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or Einkorn flour, or Jovial GF Pastry Flour + 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup maple sugar or unbleached cane sugar
- 1/2 cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup whole milk or oat milk
- Powdered sugar for serving, if desired
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan and line it with parchment paper.
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Make the crumble: In a large bowl, combine all topping ingredients with your hands until the mixture is no longer dry. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer while you prepare the batter.
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Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
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In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
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Arrange the apple slices evenly over the batter, then sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples. Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40–50 minutes (see notes). Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, remove the springform ring, and cool completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
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