This apple pumpkin cake is a perfect fall recipe. It combines two favorite flavors into one moist, delicious cake.
This apple pumpkin cake is from Robin Asbell’s latest book on Whole Grains
I have had such a wonderful time cooking and baking through Robin’s book, The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains
In Robin’s recipe she calls for canned pumpkin so you can make this cake any time of the year, but since it is pie pumpkin season I decided to use puree from a pumpkin I roasted. The apples are aplenty right now as well so I chose some that are local. You can mix and match baking apples such as Macintosh, Cortland, Haralson and/or Granny Smith. I have yet to get to an orchard to pick my own apples. But, I had the great fortune of receiving a bag of apples from my friend Jen’s father, who picked the fruit from a tree in his backyard. They are tart, but sweet and have a pink tint to their flesh. Absolutely gorgeous! I mixed them with some Granny Smith, as Robin recommends in her recipe.
Apple Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
- Apples: Granny Smith apples give this cake a wonderful tart flavor.
- Pumpkin Streusel: The streusel topping features pureed pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to give this cake the wonderful pumpkin flavor.
- Apple Chips: These give the cake more apple flavor and add a layer of crisp flavor.
How to Make Apple Pumpkin Cake
Check out the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
To start:
Butter and flour (I forgot the flour and it was just fine!) an 8-Inch Springform Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Saute the apples in the butter on medium heat, just until they start to soften. Remove from heat and add the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a stand mixer combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the 1/2 cup butter and blend well.
Measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl to make the streusel. Add the 3 tablespoons sugar and pumpkin spices to this separate bowl, blend and set aside.
Add the baking soda, pumpkin, sour cream and eggs to the flour mixture left remaining in your mixer.
Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Layer the cake batter, then the sauteed apples and finally sprinkle the streusel over the top.
Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Allow to cool in the pan and then remove the springform. Serve with Vanilla ice cream and an apple chip.
To make the apple chips. dip the apple slices in the simple syrup. Drain the excess syrup off and lay them flat on a Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat
**For those of you who may want a parve caramel apple cake for their Rosh Hashanah dinner they can either adapt this recipe or use the recipe I have that has no dairy. For those just looking for an incredible cake to make use of all those amazing apples and a roasted pumpkin this is the one for you!
Ingredients
Sautéed Apples
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 large Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Streusel Topping and Cake
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
Apple Chips
- 1 apple very thinly sliced on a Mandoline slicer
- 1/2 cup simple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour (I forgot the flour and it was just fine!) an 8-inch springform pan.
Sautéed Apples
- Saute the apples in the butter on medium heat, just until they start to soften. Remove from heat and add the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Cake
- In a stand mixer combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the 1/2 cup butter and blend well.
- Measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl to make the streusel. Add the 3 tablespoons sugar and pumpkin spices to this separate bowl, blend and set aside.
- Add the baking soda, pumpkin, sour cream and eggs to the flour mixture left remaining in your mixer. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Layer the cake batter, then the sautéed apples and finally sprinkle the streusel over the top.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Allow to cool in the pan and then remove the springform. Serve with Vanilla ice cream and an apple chip.
Apple Chips
- Dip the apple slices in the simple syrup. Drain the excess syrup off and lay them flat on a Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat. Turn off the oven from the cake and put the sheet of apples in the hot, but turned off oven. Allow the apples to dry out for about an hour before opening the door.
Meaning of course your recipe in the super book Artisan bread in 5minutes..
Great looking recipe! I just happen to have a fridge full of apples and a can of pumpkin in the cupboard. Love anything whole grain!
Would 2 or 3 tablespoons be enough for the whole dough? Sorry to disturb you again…!
Hi TiV,
Yes, it will really help with the 100% whole wheat breads. The whole grains wreak havoc on the ability for the protein to form gluten, so it tends to be dense. The vital wheat gluten really helps.
Enjoy that bread!
Zoë
That cake looks amazing… so different from other cakes I’ve had. I love apples, pumpkins and whole grains – what a winner!
p.s. Just took from the oven your light whole wheat bread 🙂 !
Thanks for your kind advice Zoe! After long and desperate search I found wheat gluten from the neighbourhood bakery…and it was cheap too. The webshops from abroad were not allowed to send it here and I was getting desperate. But now I have it and will try. How about adding it to the 100% whole wheat bread dough in your recipe? Have you tried adding it?
This looks amazing! After a big trip apple picking in New England, I’m looking for any and all recipes that call for apples and this one suits the bill! Surely it’ll put a dent in my massive apple supply 🙂
Oh, yummy! I sent this recipe to my mom and she thinks it sounds good too. I agreed to bring it to Thnksgiving Dinner. LOL! Thnks for the great cake recipe and would love to win this book.
Hi Amanda,
The Peruvian Quinoa Shrimp Chicharrones is next on my list of recipes to make from the book. Very exotic, but it looks simple to make. Also the French Lamb and Rye Berry Braise!
The blueberry pie with whole wheat crust is amazing, as is the wild rice and hazelnut stuffing with apples.
One more that is intriguing, but I haven’t tried yet is the coconut-lemongrass black rice pudding.
Enjoy! Zoë
Zoe, I am so glad that you posted this recipe! I was waiting for a yummy apple cake to be shown up here. I love whole grain baking but besides the King Arthur book I have, there aren’t alot of resources that I trust. I’m thinking the book you reviewed is another keeper. What other recipes are in there?
That looks so delicious…reminds me of when people describe themselves as a waiter/actor/writer. This might be sourcream streusel coffeecake/apple tart/pumpkin pie!
Hi TiV,
You may want to try adding a couple tablespoons of vital wheat gluten to your whole wheat bread recipes. This allows more rise and better crumb. Is it available in Finland?
Thanks, Zoë
Hello from Finland! The issue with whole grain is very popular also here. Much healthier – but also a little bit trickier to bake. At least my experiments with bread doughs have not given any good results – yet!
It looks delicious! This is the perfect Autumn cake–pumpkin, apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Yum.
Happy new year Zoe! That’s just the perfect cake for Rosh Hashanah! The book must be great, good lucky everybody!
Hi Sheri,
I really don’t get a strong pumpkin flavor, it just adds lots and lots of moisture. If you really can’t do pumpkin, you could probably substitute applesauce.
Thanks, Zoë
Looks great, even though I don’t like pumpkin. But I love whole grains!
Zoe – that cake looks soooo yummy – I can see why your boys would want to eat it for breakfast, a snack and dessert!
Looks deliciuos! I’ll have to try this!
Looks delicious!
This cake looks perfect–streusel topping, moist cake with sour cream and pumpkin, apples (I always have lots to use up). I think I’ll try maple syrup with the apple chips. I can’t wait.
WOW – that cake is prize enough! I’ll be making it this weekend for my daughter’s visit from chicago.
This will fill my house with delicious smells. And what a great concept and perfect for the fall weather!
Would never have thought to put pumpkin and apple together. What a yummy cake! It looks so moist and ready to have teeth sunk into it…