I hope everyone is starting to enjoy the beginning of fall weather!  It is starting to get cool, but not cold. The sunsets are just gorgeous and the leaves are beginning to change pretty colors. What more can you ask for…OK donuts/cake…my thoughts exactly.

One thing I can’t get enough of during the fall is apples.   The fresh juicy apples are just waiting to be baked in some delicious way.

Try this recipe and see what you think.  I love to bake this time of year.

It warms my soul and my tummy.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 8 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease bundt pan with baking spray.

In medium saucepan, bring chopped apple and cider to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until most of the cider has been absorbed and apples are easily smashed with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cool 5 minutes, and then pulse in food processor until pureed.  Stir in milk into apple puree; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon; set aside.

In large bowl, beat unsalted butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oil and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with apple mixture, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat mixture just until combined.   Add vanilla and beat once more, just to combine.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean, rotating cake halfway through baking, 35 to 45 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool upside down on top of a serving dish for about 10 minutes before removing from bundt pan.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle warm cake with cinnamon sugar, using fingers to rub it onto sides.

Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

Happy Baking!

Update: Originally this post stated to let the cake cool upside down for 30 minutes, instead of cooling upside down for 10 minutes.