Apple of My Eye

Intro by JORDAN STAGGS

Author Amy Traverso

Move over, pumpkin spice! The original fall phenomenon is back in a big way. The crisp, brisk days of autumn are upon us, meaning many Americans are enjoying hot cider or venturing to New England orchards for a day of apple picking. For those in search of some new seasonal apple dishes to try, you’re in luck! Yankee magazine’s senior food editor and TV host Amy Traverso has revised her 2011 Apple Lover’s Cookbook to offer thoroughly updated apple knowledge. The new tome, which released in early September, includes the history of this favorite fruit, over one hundred recipes, seventy apple flavor profiles—such as the wildly popular new Cosmic Crisp apple—and updated apple events and product sources across the United States.

Grab your copy today or visit AmyTraverso.com to learn more!

Applestudded brown butter streusel coffee cake from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook

Apple Tea Cake

with Lemon Glaze

By Amy Traverso

My favorite school roommate used to get regular care packages from home containing a rich lemon pound cake that was drizzled with tart glaze. It was incredible (she was good at sharing). Twenty years later, that cake inspired this variation, in which a buttermilk pound cake is layered with very thin slices of apple and topped with tangy lemon glaze. When you slice the cake, you see the pretty layers—a lovely presentation.

Apple tea cake with lemon glaze from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook

Apple Notes:

Firm-sweet apples with pronounced lemon flavors are particularly good here. Try a Ginger Gold or a Gravenstein if you can find one. Otherwise, a nice Pink Lady or a Jazz would be great, too.

EQUIPMENT

6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) bread loaf pan; mandoline; stand or handheld mixer; cake tester; wire rack

YIELD

1 cake; 8 servings

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup granulated sugar more for dusting pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 small (or 1/2 large) firm-sweet apple (about 4 ounces; see Apple Notes), unpeeled, cored, cut in half lengthwise, and very thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch), preferably on a mandoline

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and set a rack to the middle position. Butter and flour a loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or, if using a handheld mixer, in a large bowl. Using a whisk attachment, cream on high speed until pale, very fluffy, and almost mousse-like. This will take between 6 and 8 minutes. Be patient, and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically as you go. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

When the butter and sugar are fully whipped, add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each. Switch to your mixer’s paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add half the buttermilk and briefly mix. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, then the last of the flour mixture. Mix just until smooth—do not overmix.

Pour a third of the batter into the prepared bread pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Top the batter with half the apples, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle the apples with half the cinnamon. Repeat with an additional third of the batter and the remaining apples. Top with the remaining batter and smooth with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: in a medium bowl, stir the lemon juice into the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Remove the cake from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes in the pan. While the cake is still warm, poke the top all over with a toothpick inserted all the way. Pour half the glaze on the cake and spread evenly with a spatula. Let sit for an additional 10 minutes to soak up the glaze, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 30 more minutes.

When the cake is completely cool, drizzle generously with the remaining glaze, letting it run down the sides. Let the glaze dry for about 30 minutes, then serve.

Recipes and photographs from The Apple Lover’s Cookbook: Revised and Updated. Copyright © 2020 by Amy Traverso. Photographs © 2011 by Squire Fox. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.