This harvest cake is like a flash mob of autumn flavors – it comes from nowhere and demands your immediate attention! Dominated by cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, with loads of shredded apple, copious amounts of crunchy walnuts, some golden raisins and maybe a little rum (sly grin). I can’t say it’s a light, delicate confection, because it isn’t.
In fact, I’d liken it more to a fruit cake than cake-cake, though it’s definitely not that dense. (And I’d recommend eating it within a few days rather than holding on to it for several months.)
This cake has heft and spice — and is ridiculously moist considering that there’s no fat added. No oil or butter, just buttermilk, applesauce and a few eggs.
This is one of those treats that transitions easily from morning to night. It goes equally well with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast as it does with the last few sips of wine after dinner.
And because it’s so moist and flavorful, I think that frosting would be redundant.
A sprinkle of powdered sugar is all you need, but if you really want to dress it up, I’d recommend a dollop of freshly whipped heavy cream or a drizzle of creme anglaise.
Dense and moist, this cake is filled with fruit! Dollop with a spoon of whipped cream or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar!
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 apple peeled, cored, shredded
- powdered sugar optional
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or 8x8 inch square baking pan. Spray pan liberally (bottom and sides) with vegetable spray. Place the parchment in the bottom of the pan and spray the parchment with vegetable spray. Set aside.
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In a 2 cup glass measuring cup add the buttermilk, applesauce, egg, rum and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Whisk until well combined then stir in the liquid ingredients, shredded apple, walnuts and raisins. Stir several times to assure that dry ingredients are blended into the wet and that the solids are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
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Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
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Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Autumn Desserts:
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- Apple Frangipane Tart
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- Apple Cranberry Walnut Tart
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- Pear and Cranberry Upside Down Cake
I love a good spice cake and this one sounds delicious!
It is officially on the must try list!
Glad you like, Katrina!
Hi Lisa
Could I use wholemeal flour instead of white flour?
Is the cake sweet ? Could I omit white granulated sugar?
Thank you
Sorry made a mistake with sugar. Iknow it only has brown sugar.oops!
Hi Jo! I would think you could use whole wheat flour instead of white, but it may make it a little more dense and this is already a hefty cake. If you do it, let me know how it turns out.
What a beautiful and tasty looking spice cake. Perfect for the season.
This is a cake I can enjoy anytime, especially on a chilly afternoon with a nice hot cup of tea.
I’m so glad you like it, Janette!
Light and delicate cakes have their place, but sometimes all you want is a dense and intense piece of cake. And I think this apple harvest cake would fit the bill! I could definitely see having this for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
I’m with you Annemarie!
I’m loving all the warm spices in this cake!
I served this at a dinner party for relatives visiting from Martinique. I wanted something typical of American fall flavors (plus I had some beautiful apples I wanted to use up). It was a huge hit! Dense, super moist, and slices beautifully. This cake will definitely be a permanent part of my dessert repertoire! Thank you Lisa!
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your experience!