This is one of my top three desserts for company. More apple than cake, it is rich and spicy and satisfying in ways pie never could be. You can skip the sauce and just serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream, but you will miss out on serious bliss.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp, plus extra for the pan
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup flour (yes, just 1 cup)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 t allspice and nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup pecans
Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 T corn starch, mix with sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square glass baking dish. Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Add chopped apple and pecans to dry mixture, stir to coat them (otherwise they will sink to bottom when baking). Stir mixture into other ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, thouroughly blend together. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done. Just before serving prepare sauce as follows
Combine the sauce ingredients except the vanilla in a small saucepan and cook until the sugars dissolve. Cool slightly Stir in the vanilla. Cut the cake into squares and pour the sauce over. Top with home-made whipped cream or ice cream.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp, plus extra for the pan
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup flour (yes, just 1 cup)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 t allspice and nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup pecans
Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 T corn starch, mix with sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square glass baking dish. Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Add chopped apple and pecans to dry mixture, stir to coat them (otherwise they will sink to bottom when baking). Stir mixture into other ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, thouroughly blend together. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done. Just before serving prepare sauce as follows
Combine the sauce ingredients except the vanilla in a small saucepan and cook until the sugars dissolve. Cool slightly Stir in the vanilla. Cut the cake into squares and pour the sauce over. Top with home-made whipped cream or ice cream.
