simple and sweet apple cake

Oh, I have such love for simple cakes. My strawberry summer cake is still one of my favorite desserts ever (and I love the peach version as well!). I love how homey they are and how easy it is to whip them up on a whim. This apple cake is joining the ranks as another delicious cake that’s simple and easy to make. My little Lizzy was sick last Saturday and I spent most of the day on the couch with her snuggling and watching Lark Rise to Candleford (which I just discovered on Hulu and can’t get enough of). Geoff joined me in watching it, and we talked about my love of the nineteenth century and how I was born at the wrong time. When I pulled this cake out of the oven later that night, his first comment was, “Wow, you really were born in the wrong century! This looks like something they would eat in Little Women.” I’m still not sure whether that was meant as a compliment or an insult, but I’ll take it as a compliment. 🙂

The apples make this cake very moist (without being soggy) and I love the flavors of the simple sweet cake mixed with the juicy apples and cinnamon. The batter took just a few minutes to whisk together, and mine was perfectly baked at about 50 minutes. I used golden delicious apples because they were what I had available, but I think it would be fun to experiment with some other varieties of apples too (granny smith, sweet tango, etc.). Hooray for fall baking!

Simple and Sweet Apple Cake
adapted from Julia’s Album

2 large or 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 9 pan with cooking spray.Toss chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, canola oil, yogurt, and vanilla until well blended. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Pour half of the cake batter into the pan, spreading to cover the bottom, and top with half of the apples. Spread the remaining cake batter over the top and sprinkle with remaining apples. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.