Description
Paula Deen’s apple cake blends Southern comfort with sweet, spiced charm. Warm cinnamon and tender apples create a delightful dessert you’ll savor with each comforting bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (700 ml/375 g) all purpose flour
- 3 cups (700 ml/450 g) peeled and finely chopped apples
- 3 cups (700 ml) sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded coconut
- 1 cup (100 g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (1 stick or 115 g) butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
- 1 ½ tsps baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Lavishly grease a tube pan with butter or non-stick spray. Position the oven rack centrally and preheat to 325°F / 165°C.
- Batter Creation: Whisk granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until achieving a smooth, lump-free consistency.
- Ingredient Integration: Gently fold chopped apples, shredded coconut, and pecans into the batter, ensuring even distribution without deflating the mixture.
- Initial Baking: Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface for uniform baking. Place in preheated oven and bake for 90 minutes, rotating midway through cooking.
- Doneness Check: Verify cake completion by inserting a wooden skewer into the center; it should emerge clean and free of raw batter.
- Sauce Preparation: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, stirring until reaching a vigorous boil.
- Sauce Finishing: Maintain boiling for exactly one minute, stirring continuously to prevent burning and ensure a silky smooth texture.
- Sauce Application: Immediately after removing cake from oven, drench the entire surface with the scalding sauce, allowing it to penetrate thoroughly.
- Resting and Cooling: Let the cake rest undisturbed for one hour, enabling the sauce to infuse deeply. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before serving at room temperature, optionally accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Prep Pan Perfectly: Generously coat tube pan with butter or non-stick spray to guarantee easy cake removal and prevent stubborn sticking.
- Mixing Mastery: Whisk ingredients thoroughly until batter becomes completely smooth, eliminating any potential flour lumps for a more consistent texture.
- Fold Gently: When adding apples, coconut, and pecans, use a light folding technique to maintain the batter’s airiness and prevent deflating the mixture.
- Sauce Precision: Watch the caramel sauce carefully during boiling, stirring continuously for exactly one minute to achieve the perfect rich, smooth consistency without burning.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 62 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg