DIY Apple Coffee Cake.

WRITTEN and EATEN by Yili Wang

Dieters beware! Do not read the following. No matter how much you convince yourself that you are making these “for friends”, honourable attempts to resist these amazing treats are futile. The smell of the apple coffee cake is enough to win over the most hard-core dieters and self proclaimed dessert haters. That is if you are not a mutant who does not enjoy the devilish combination of cinnamon (FYI, excellent for those suffering from an overgrowth of yeast in the intestines), butter, brown sugar and apples.
I was first introduced to this cake when my classmate’s wife made it for our potluck Friday PBL breakfast sessions. I immediately asked for the recipe and was delighted to discover that it was a simple Emeril Lagasse recipe. I mean if the dessert is going to be a hassle to make, meaning complex pastry chef level techniques, time consuming, too many dishes to clean afterward or simply obscure costly ingredients that I will never use again, I might as well buy it. FYI, Dufflet company offers excellent desserts.

I did make some slight changes to the original recipe.

• 1. I added more apples and Granny Smith apples work the best.
  
• 2. I only used 1 cup of brown sugar instead of 1.5 cups.
  
• 3. I did not include the caramel sauce.
  
• 4. I added tons of coarsely chopped walnuts and pecans both in the batter and topping.

Again, see what you like and adjust the recipe to your taste buds. You cannot go wrong. The biggest mistake is not making this cake.

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Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

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Yili Wang is a Guest Star/ Guest Writer for Good Food Toronto. She is a Dental student from UBC who grew up and lived in Toronto before moving to Vancouver. Her love of food goes beyond eating good food as she spends lots of free time learning and improving her culinary skills.