Maple Bourbon Apple Cake
Barb
12
1.5-2 hours
70 minutes
580
American
Dessert
Fall is the perfect season for apples - crisp, sweet and full of that quintessential autumn flavor. Autumn brings a variety of apples great for baking, making it an ideal time to get cozy in the kitchen. One of the most comforting desserts to bake during this season is Maple Bourbon Apple Cake. It combines the best of fall's harvest with rich, warm flavors that make it irresistible.
The apples bring moisture and sweetness to the cake while maple sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness that pairs beautifully with the Bourbon Maple Syrup.
A slice of this cake is like a hug in dessert form - perfect with a cup of tea or a cozy blanket as the leaves change colors outside. The aroma of the baking apples and spices fills the air, making it feel like autumn is right in your kitchen. Plus, it's the kind of cake that gets better as it sits, so it's ideal for gatherings or for enjoying over a few days. If you haven't tried baking a Maple Bourbon Apple Cake yet, now's the time to give it a go - it's a perfect celebration of fall.
Ingredients
2.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust the pan
1 ¾ cups Maple Sugar
2 sticks (½ lb) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbs plus ½ cup Bourbon Maple Syrup
½ cup chopped ginger
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated
1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
½-1 cup Maple Cream
1 ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
Directions
Heat oven to 350 deg F. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.
In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbs bourbon maple syrup with chopped ginger. Let stand 10 minutes. * (see note)
In a large bowl, beat together Maple Sugar and butter using hand mixer or use an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon maple syrup from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry ingredients mixture and the sour cream mixture, in 2-3 additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Cool in the pan 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack, flat side down.
When the cake is cooled, warm up the Maple Cream slightly in the microwave, about 10-15 seconds. Flip the cake over and place on cake platter. Pour the warmed Maple Cream over the cake and serve.
