The Wooden Spoon Adventure: Virginia Apple Pudding (Cake)

Last week I was contacted by Jenn from the blog Knitty Baker (US) to see if I was interested in participating in The Wooden Spoon Adventure, a fun blog opportunity to celebrate the 5th blog Anniversary of the blog A Merrier World by Kate (UK).  Kate began a few weeks ago by posting a recipe that was made with a very special wooden spoon, then the spoon was sent to another blogger who followed suite, and then it was sent to another blogger, and so on.  Bloggers who participate are honorary "Spoonees".  The goal is for the spoon to travel from one spoonee to another, across the globe, cooking local ingredients or recipes along the way.  Then the spoonees share what they made on their blogs, including photos of the special wooden spoon being used to make the recipe.  Such a fun idea.  So, let me say Happy Blogiversary to Kate at A Merrier World.  I'm thrilled to be part of this very cool celebration, and when I’m done I’ll be sending the spoon to my friend Jamie from Jamie Cooks it Up.

So agreeing to participate was an easy choice, but next I needed to decide whether to feature a local ingredient or recipe.  In the end, I decided to feature a little of both.  It happens to be the peak of apple season in my apple orchard-filled town - and as a nod to our British heritage, I chose to make a kind of cake called a pudding (common in the UK, but not so common here in the US).  Everyone in the family loves this sweet, tender, moist cake which is packed full of fresh apple flavor.  My youngest even asked me to make it for her birthday.  Enjoy!

The Wooden Spoon arrived complete with a lovely note from Jenn, the Spoonee who picked me to carry on the tradition, as well as the original note Kate wrote when she started this nifty adventure.

Alrighty, let's get started - this cake starts with a bowl of diced apples.  Choose an apple variety that holds it shape well when baked and doesn't give off too much juice or turn mushy.  Galas, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious are good choices.  

Add ground cinnamon.

Stir well to combine.

Precook the apples in the microwave for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to soften.  

Here you can see the apples have shrunken down a bit. 

Oh how I wish you could smell my kitchen right about now!

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.

Add the melted butter, milk, and pure vanilla extract; stir until smooth.

Pour the batter into a deep 9-inch pie plate or and 8x8x2 square baking dish.

Sprinkle the precooked apples evenly over the batter.  Bake in the lower half of a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

And here's how it looks when it's done (we fight over those yummy brown edges).  I hope you'll give this recipe a try, and be sure to visit past Spoonees to see what recipes they shared during this adventure - A Merrier World, Melinda's Kitchen Diary, Evil Cake Lady, Knitty Baker, ButterYum. And keep an eye open for Jamie’s future post on Jamie Cooks it Up.

Enjoy!

Virginia Apple Pudding (Cake)

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and diced (Galas, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious work well)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (use the good stuff)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and place oven rack in lower third position.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine apples and cinnamon; cook in microwave for 3-5 minutes until the apples begin to soften.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the melted butter, milk, and pure vanilla extract; stir until smooth.

5. Pour batter into a deep 9-inch pie plate or 8x8x2-inch square baking dish; sprinkle precooked apples evenly over the batter.

6. Bake in the lower third of a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Cool completely before serving directly from the baking dish.

Notes

• Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13 casserole dish.

• Use apples that hold their shape well and don't exude too much moisture during baking, such as Galas, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious.

• This cake is best eaten within 24 hours because the high sugar content will absorb moisture from the apples and the atmosphere, causing the cake to get soggy over time.

• For a rustic presentation, bake in a cast iron skillet.

(affiliate links)

Chocolate Mocha Snack Cake (and a cake tip)

Have you had the pleasure of tasting Biscoff Spread yet?  I've been hoping our local grocery stores would start carrying it for more than 2 years now and I finally stumbled upon it a few weeks ago.  I quickly grabbed some and headed home to see if all the fuss I'd read about was true.  I'm happy to report, IT WAS!!!  If you're familiar with Biscoff Cookies, you already know that amazing butter-cinnamon-caramel flavor.  Now imagine it as a soft, creamy spread.  Insanely good, I tell you.  Insane!   I made the mistake of letting one of the teens taste my glorious find, but then I noticed the contents of the jar disappearing at an alarming rate so I had to move it into protective custody. 

Anyway, Biscoff Spread is soft, sweet, and spreadable, making it a perfect no-fuss substitute for frosting on my mocha version of this super simple chocolate mocha snack cake - a one-bowl recipe that bakes in about 35 minutes. 

There’s a reason why this cake is a family favorite! Don’t forget to check out the bottom of this post to see how I bake my cakes without a big hump in the middle.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• Biscoff spread https://amzn.to/3cfKmgx

• 8x8 cake pan w/lid https://amzn.to/3d1a5rQ

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/2K2Ao5P

• dutch-processed cocoa powder https://amzn.to/3f4e1Le

• chocolate covered espresso beans https://amzn.to/2HTUfCB

• insulated cake strips https://amzn.to/42cHlVQ

• mad hungry cookbook https://amzn.to/2uLY1p0

• baker’s joy baking spray https://amzn.to/2YL8xKG

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Chocolate Mocha Snack Cake w/Biscoff Frosting

Printable Recipe

serves 9-12

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee (or hot water)

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup Biscoff Spread

• chocolate covered coffee beans for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Prepare an 8x8-inch square cake pan with Baker's Joy baking spray.

3. If you want your cake to bake without an ugly hump in the middle, wrap the pan with a moistened insulated baking strips (see photos below).

4. In a medium bowl, combine all the cake ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

5. Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Remove cake from oven and place on a rack to cool completely; about 2 hours.

7. To decorate the cake, use an offset spatula to spread the Biscoff in a thin, even layer on top of the cake.

8. Garnish with chocolate covered coffee beans.

Notes

• This cake is great served at room temperature, but it's also excellent chilled (that's the way I like to enjoy it).

• Cake batter can also be used to make 24 cupcakes.

adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn

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Now for my tip:

See this cake?  It was baked in a naked cake pan.  Kind of sad looking, don't you think?  The edges of the cake are over baked and dry, and the center of the cake puffed into a huge hump.

Why does this happen?  Because a naked cake pans heat very quickly in the oven, causing the batter along the edges to bake and set long before the batter in the center of the pan.

To avoid the hump issue, simply wrap the pan with a moistened insulated baking strip before popping it in the oven.

So why do the insulted baking strips make such a difference?  They keep the cake pan temperature in check which allows all of the batter to bake at the same rate, resulting in a even layer.

See?  This is exactly the same cake recipe, but look how nice and even it baked.  The sides are as high as the middle.  No Hump!

And here's what that beautifully even cake looks like when plated.  Professional, no?  Needless to say, I highly recommend using insulated baking strips.  Happy Baking!

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