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.
I have been baking with summer fruits and it is really only in the last couple days that I’ve been thinking autumn. This looks perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe! (also thanks for your blog…I tried the devil’s food cupcakes this weekend to rave reviews)
With seasonal apples and pumpkin together in one great cake, I’d have to call this the “Ultimate Fall Cake.”
MMMMmmmm…This looks so moist!
Oh that looks great! I was just about to give up on incorporating an apple dessert into thanksgiving as pumpkin and pecan were demanded; this way, maybe i’ll get both apple and pumpkin in one!
This looks deliciouus. I really want to get into whole grain cooking and would love to explore this cookbook more thoroughly.
The book sounds fantastic – as does the apple/pumpkin cake. I’m always looking for ways to make whole grains more appealing to my family!
Ooh, that looks delightful! Hubs loves both apples & pumpkin – can’t wait to surprise him. 🙂
I just found your blog via tastespotting – beautiful! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
That looks good. I just made pumpkin puree, and have apple trees with lots of fruit
Looks great! My kids just returned from an apple orchard field trip and this will be better than the usual apple pie (already made one this season). Bonus they will think they are getting away with something when I let them eat it for breakfast. Sneaky!
this cake looks wonderful. please add my name to the drawing. thank you.
This looks tasty. It’s definitely jumping to the top of my To Bake list.
That cake looks fantastic, the best of both worlds, epitome of fall. I think baking is to be done today…
That cake looks amazing. I will definitely have to try it.
This cake looks wonderful- I have recently switched over to using only whole grains, so this will be perfect for the holidays. I can’t wait to check out the book as well. Looks like a great resource for my new way of cooking.
That cake looks amazing, and it’s not that bad for you! I’m definitely going to have to make it this weekend.
Wow, this looks great. I can’t wait to try it!
Wow– This cake looks like the perfect way to welcome Fall! Can’t wait to try… thank you for sharing!
Love apples and pumpkin, recipe looks so yummy
This looks delicious. It will be perfect for taking to hosted teacher luncheons and other fall events as not only are the flavors perfect for the fall season it is easy to transport and will still look good when it arrives (DH sometimes delivers items to school for me and I always worry if it will arrive looking the same way it did when I packed it).
mmmm, i love a cake that’s also a breakfast! looks yummy AND healthy!
Ok, I’m game since I have some wonderful looking white longneck pumpkins in the garden and a friend that is an apple grower. Fall is calling for this recipe to be tested!!Thanks.!
Hi Shauna,
I think adding oats sounds great! Let me know when you’ve tried it.
Enjoy, Zoë
looks delicious. do you think adding oats to the topping would be good? i’m definitely going to make this later…
This cake looks delicious! I had no idea there was such a thing as whole wheat pastry flour, will need to track that down.