Apple Pecan Cake is the right vacation dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Made with Greek yogurt, vanilla, pecans, and each inexperienced and pink apples, it’s simple to organize with simply 20 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of baking. Serve it dusted with powdered sugar, or prime it with ice cream or whipped cream. You can even drizzle it with caramel sauce and sprinkle with chopped pecans on prime. Make it for the vacations or year-round!
Simple apple pecan cake
This gentle and moist apple cake comes collectively shortly with easy elements like flour, butter, Greek yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and baking powder. The cake is loaded with pecan halves (I used 2 cups!), and I used a mixture of 1 massive tart apple (Granny Smith) and 1 massive candy pink apple (Envy). You can even attempt different apple varieties like Gala, Honey Crisp, Fuji, or Cosmic Crisp. Simply remember to select agency apples—softer varieties will flip mushy when baked into the cake. The Greek yogurt provides a smooth, gentle, and moist texture, together with a delicate tang that makes the cake soften in your mouth. You may bake it in quite a lot of pans, resembling a 10-inch forged iron skillet or a 9-inch springform pan. It’s easy sufficient for busy weekdays however fancy sufficient for particular events—and also you don’t even want a mixer to make it! Fast, simple, and irresistible identical to this Apple Pumpkin Cinnamon Vanilla Bundt Cake and these easy-to-make Apple Squares.
The elements you want
- Flour – I used common all-purpose flour; you can even use cake flour.
- Baking powder – Ensure it is contemporary to assist the cake rise correctly and obtain a lightweight, fluffy texture.
- Butter – I used ½ cup of melted salted butter – no want so as to add salt on this recipe. You can even use vegetable oil or any neutral-flavored cooking oil as an alternative.
- Sugar – Use common granulated white sugar.
- Eggs – I used 2 massive ones, they add moisture, fluffiness, and texture.
- Greek yogurt – Use low-fat plain Greek yogurt. It provides a clean texture and a delicate tang, making the cake tender. You may substitute it with buttermilk or bitter cream.
- Vanilla extract – I used 1 teaspoon.
- Apples – Use contemporary, agency apples that can maintain their form throughout baking. Softer apples will flip mushy and create an applesauce-like texture within the cake. I used a mixture of candy and tart apples (Envy and Granny Smith). I folded diced Granny Smith apple chunks into the batter and topped the cake with sliced candy pink apples. The mix of candy and tart apples creates an ideal steadiness of flavors! Fuji, Gala, or Cosmic Crisp apples additionally work splendidly.
- Pecans – I used 2 cups of uncooked pecan halves. I chopped 1 cup of them and folded them into the batter, then topped the cake with the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves.
Methods to make apple pecan cake
Right here’s an summary of the directions with step-by-step photographs. For the total recipe, scroll right down to the recipe card beneath.
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and put together the baking pan. Grease the underside and sides of a forged iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Alternatively, line a 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease with butter or cooking spray.
2) Put together the cake batter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In a big bowl, whisk collectively the sugar, melted butter, and eggs till gentle and fluffy. Add the Greek yogurt and vanilla, mixing till simply mixed. Regularly add the flour combination, stirring till clean. Gently fold in 1 cup of chopped peeled Granny Smith apples and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
3) Pour the batter into the ready pan. Prepare thinly sliced pink apples in a round sample on prime, inserting 1 cup of pecan halves between the slices. See the photographs for reference.
4) Bake for 50-60 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clear.
5) Let the cake cool for about half-hour earlier than releasing it from the pan. In case you used a forged iron skillet, merely serve it proper from the skillet! As soon as cooled, mud with powdered sugar and serve.
What baking dish can you utilize?
- 10-inch spherical high-sided cast-iron skillet. That is the pan I used within the recipe. A cast-iron skillet provides the cake a crispy, golden-brown edge whereas protecting the middle smooth and moist. The skillet ensures even warmth distribution, leading to a fantastically textured cake.
- 9×3-inch spherical springform pan. It permits for simple elimination of the cake whereas sustaining its stunning form.
- 9×13-inch rectangular baking pan. Grease the pan and bake the cake for about 40 minutes or a bit of longer, till a toothpick inserted comes out clear.
- 12-cup muffin pan. Flip this apple pecan cake into muffins or cupcakes! Fold all of the apples into the cake batter, fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full and bake for 20 to half-hour, or till a toothpick comes out clear.
Cake toppings
- Confectioners’ sugar. As soon as the cake has utterly cooled, flippantly mud it with powdered sugar simply earlier than serving. The cake’s moist texture tends to soak up the sugar shortly, so it’s greatest added final.
- Ice cream. A heat slice of apple pecan cake pairs splendidly with a scoop of plain vanilla or pecan-flavored ice cream. Add some chopped pecans on prime of the ice cream for additional crunch!
- Caramel sauce. Drizzle the cake with a bit of caramel sauce and prime it with chopped toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Dulce de Leche. This caramelized condensed milk creates a beautiful, candy drizzle.
- Whipped cream. It is a straightforward method to elevate this straightforward cake!
Storage Ideas
- Room temperature. Retailer the apple pecan cake at room temperature for as much as 3 days. Loosely cowl it with foil or plastic wrap. In case your room is heat, it’s greatest to refrigerate the cake.
- Fridge. As soon as the cake has utterly cooled, retailer it loosely coated with plastic wrap or foil. It’ll keep contemporary within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Freezer. After the cake has absolutely cooled, freeze it inside 2 days of baking. Wrap it tightly in foil, or plastic wrap, or place it in an hermetic container, and it’ll hold within the freezer for as much as s months.
Different apple desserts to attempt
- Easy Apple Cake with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Vanilla
- Apple Blueberry Cake
- Cranberry Apple Pecan Bundt Cake
- Apple Pumpkin Cinnamon Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Simple Apple Squares (Cake Bars)
- Apple, Blueberry, Peach Espresso Cake
Apple Pecan Cake
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Components
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour or baking flour, sifted or aerated (see word beneath)
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter melted (4 oz)
- 2 massive eggs
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt low-fat
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups uncooked pecan halves
- 1 massive Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored, and diced into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 massive candy pink apple (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced) – select candy, agency apples like Fuji, Gala, Envy, or Honeycrisp.
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). In case your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Grease the edges and the underside of the 10-inch forged iron skillet with butter. Alternatively, line the underside of the 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the edges and the underside of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
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In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
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In a big bowl, mix granulated sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat utilizing a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes till the combination turns gentle in colour, clean (not grainy), and fluffy.
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Combine in Greek yogurt and vanilla extract, and whisk simply till mixed.
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Add the flour combination step by step, whisking 1 cup of flour at a time with the moist elements till mixed. Don’t over-mix.
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Fold in 1 cup of diced Granny Smith apple (peeled and cored) and 1 cup of chopped pecans into the batter.
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Pour the cake batter into the ready forged iron skillet or the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Prepare thinly sliced pink apple slices (peeled and cored) in a round sample on prime, with the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves positioned in between. See photographs for reference.
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Bake for about 45–50 minutes on the center rack or till a tester or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear. If not finished, proceed baking in 5-minute increments, checking every time. I used a convection setting and baked for precisely 45 minutes at 350°F, leading to a completely baked, properly browned cake. In an everyday oven, it might take a bit longer, about 1 hour at 350°F.
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Take away the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. If baking the cake in a forged iron skillet, serve it proper out of the skillet. In case you used a springform pan, after about half-hour of cooling, launch the cake from the pan. As soon as it is cool sufficient, you’ll be able to rigorously slide your hand or a big spatula underneath the cake, between the parchment paper and the cake, and switch it onto a cake plate, discarding the parchment paper.
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When serving, mud with powdered sugar.
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I present useful step-by-step photographs above the recipe card (scroll up).
Notes
Methods to measure flour accurately with cups:
To measure flour accurately with measuring cups, begin by sifting or aerating the flour to fluff it up. Then, use a big spoon to softly spoon the flour into the measuring cup, moderately than scooping it immediately from the bag with the cup. As soon as the cup is crammed, degree it off with a knife to take away any extra. In case you scoop the flour with the measuring cup straight from the bag, it’s possible you’ll find yourself with extra flour than the recipe requires, leading to a dry and dense cake batter. You should definitely aerate the flour for the correct consistency!
What baking pans can you utilize?
- I used a 9×3-inch spherical springform pan, lining the underside with parchment paper for a cleaner launch.
- You can even use a 9×13-inch rectangular baking pan—grease the pan, pour the cake batter in, and bake for about 40 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clear.
- For muffins or cupcakes, use a 12-cup muffin pan. Chop each apples into ½-inch items and fold them, together with 1 cup of chopped pecans, into the batter. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full, then prime the muffins with the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves. Bake for 20 to half-hour, or till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear.
- A ten-inch or 12-inch spherical high-sided cast-iron skillet offers you crispy, golden-brown edges with a smooth and moist middle.
Different notes
- Make it gluten-free. This recipe has been examined with Bob’s Crimson Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and you can even use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If utilizing these flours, it’s possible you’ll want so as to add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt if the batter is just too thick.
- Greek yogurt will be substituted with plain kefir, common yogurt, buttermilk, or bitter cream.
