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Italian Ricotta Cake

March 13, 2022 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Spring is days away, and yet today has been a cluster of snow and sleet. The bulbs are peeking out through the soil, and my favorite crocus at my Mom’s house has bloomed as a sign that yes, life is returning to New England. I am already pulling Easter recipes. I don’t even know the plan for that holiday except, I will be cooking for however many/whenever. It’s enough to sift and sort through the recipes for ideas at this point. Hence, Ricotta Cake!

I need to preface this recipe with a few thoughts. Like the fact that if you are Italian, my way of saying ingredients such as prosciutto, marscarpone, and ricotta would make you cringe. Think soft “a” sounds, and pronouncing all of the syllables. I know the real deal people say “Ricot” with a strong abrupt tone and such…but I am one of those people who say it wrong and know I am not bold enough to say it right. I own it. I say ri-cot-ta. (It sounds as nasally as it reads in real life too).

I will say this. My childhood memories in an Italian family include making tortellini from scratch and a huge table covered with a white bedsheet that became covered with beautiful little belly button pasta as the family worked together to roll, stuff, cut, and pinch. Tortellini soup was a staple, as were many Italian traditions. I have yet to travel abroad, but one day the dream is to visit Italy and absorb every beautiful thing.

Growing up, we had Sunday dinners, and Easter Bread with the egg baked in the middle. (In our family we called this Angootie…I have researched this bread and have yet to find this name or this recipe-although I have found many with other names and ingredients). While I may say ricotta wrong, I do have enough of the Italian memories in my past to know that ricotta it is amazing and to never, ever, use the kind made with skim milk. One of my good friends makes her own. Which, is kinda impressive.

In my growing up though, I had never heard of Ricotta Cake. We were local-bakery-Rum-Cake-people (I am not one of those anymore as a result). In all honesty, one of my children always requests a fudgey chocolate cake from the Italian bakery down the street. But Ricotta Cake? New to me!

A few years ago, a friend at work mentioned she was making it for her family Easter dinner.

Now, I have had ricotta in all sorts of pasta dishes or on pizza in big dollops, on toast both as sweet or savory, (heck I have eaten it from a spoon out of the container-no shame), but never baked in a cake. So try this recipe I did!

This cake is easy to assemble and so amazing. My photos do not do it justice. It is indulgent. It is a butter, sugar, and egg laden recipe. We are not low calorie anything here. It is made in two layers, though it almost resembles a cheesecake-y blondie type texture. It is dense, and creamy, and delicious. I want to liken the top layer to a cheese danish type consistency- but it is so much better.

There is a slight lemon tang to the ricotta layer that balances out the sweetness. My final cake split a little while cooling, even though I ran a knife around the edge as you would a cheesecake before letting it cool. I am not sure if this is typical, and welcome any comments on it! I have made this multiple times and always get the “crackin.”

My theories are in the incorporation stage, or I am over cooking, the heat is too high, or something with the cooling process. (So basically any of the steps I am causing this…) It’s a work in progress. Regardless, this cake is SOOOOO GOOOD. When I served it, I cut it up so the cracks didn’t show…and there were no complaints!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. There is something special about a recipe that is written in a friend or relative’s handwriting, that add to the beauty of the occasion. I always think when we sit down at a table where other people’s recipes are present, it is like they join us for the meal. I am all for a full table, whether in person or in spirit. It is good for the soul.

I am sending you light and love and a big slice of this heavenly dessert.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and I thank you as always, for coming to the table.

Love,

Chrissy

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Italian Ricotta Cake

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This Italian Ricotta Cake recipe is from a friend Suzanne. A sweet, slightly lemony ricotta layer atop a cake base. It is so good. We use this recipe around Easter time, but it is perfect for any time of year.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Base:

1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 2/3 Cups sifted lour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ricotta Topping:

2 Lbs Ricotta Cheese (Whole Milk)
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350

For the bottom layer:

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour and baking powder)
Cream together butter and sugar and blend through, making it light in color.
Add eggs one at a time, and incorporate after each.
Stir in sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla.
Pour combined batter into prepared pan

Top Layer:

Mix ricotta, eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla together.
Pour over top of unbaked cake layer.
Bake in 350* for one hour.
Run a knife dipped in warm water around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges and hopefully avoid cracking.
Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

4. Allow cake to cool in pan.

Stir in sifted dry ingredients

Big Crumb Strawberry Rhubarb Cake

February 6, 2022 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

While I write this entry, it is sleeting, and miserably cold. It was 40* earlier this week, and last weekend we had a big snow storm. So, there you go New England weather…Good times.

I don’t mind the cyclical movement of the seasons, there is something absolutely beautiful in each, and there is a reminder that things change. Winter brings about a certain type of darkness and quiet that I do not get in the summer.

Which is all a gift. I’m more apt to be comfortable in my own skin during the warmer productive months. Summertime brings long days outside working either in my own yard or my other job (which I love- working on a local flower farm). I am up really early, am outside later, and I go to bed tired. I like the long hours of sunlight. I like the sound of crickets and birds.

So during winter, I have found, I am not good at sitting still. I’m working on it, but it’s not something that comes naturally. I kind of envy the people that slowly ease into their day or sit on a sofa on a Saturday morning just to watch TV. It is just not who I am. I had a friend who could nap anywhere. What a talent! Winter is nice for a few weeks, but it is wearing out its welcome. Winter is just too quiet.

No matter the weather today, I have to remember that soon the days will get longer and the plants will send forth their shoots, and the world will be green again. It will happen, I mean, in a few months or so…but still. A girl can dream.

I planted four Rhubarb plants over the course of the last few years, and they are always a welcome reminder that spring is coming. They pop up with their little “hello world” selves and my heart is so happy. Four rhubarb plants provide enough for multiple recipes, even being newly established.

In Pennsylvania, my children’s great grandparents -affectionately called “Grandma and Grandpa Choo Choo” (because he had built an elaborate train set in his basement) had a real-deal victory garden. He had served overseas in WWII, they had known what it was like to live without during that time. He would tell stories of having to ration items, to make due with what they had. Every year their garden was sizable and productive.

They had rhubarb plants so big you could hide in them. Or maybe that’s just my memory.

What I loved most about that garden was, whenever you needed rhubarb, Grandpa would hold back the leaves, grab an old knife hidden/stuck in the ground near the base of the plant, and whack off a few stalks. It was genius. Maybe not super safe according to today’s standards, but it worked.

I know rhubarb isn’t an ingredient well loved by all. It’s a sour-celery sort of thing. But when it is baked into a cake with strawberries, it provides the moist, bursts of flavor that balance a sweet cake and definitely the cinnamon sugar buttery topping.

There are a few renditions of this recipe out there in the recipe world, the original one I found was the New York Times recipe that is straight up rhubarb. I added the strawberry. You can add or substitute as you see fit. It might be really good with blueberry or without anything extra.

The cake batter comes together quickly and is the top and bottom layer for a generous fruit filling.

Now, the crumb topping is out of this world. When you make it and set it aside as the cake bakes, you think…did I do this right? It may appear stiff and clumpy. The answer is yes, yes you did. The buttery cinnamon and sugar goodness is so complimentary to the strawberry rhubarb/cake part of this recipe. Don’t skimp.

When this bakes up the crumb topping stays in chunks, and it is glorious.

Now if we could just get the weather to agree and move on to spring. Soon, soon, soon.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, I thank you for coming to the table.

Love, Chrissy

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Big Crumb Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

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This perfect spring dish combines the tart tangy rhubarb and the sweet bright taste of strawberry. Topped with a big crumb cinnamon brown sugar streusel, this coffee cake is a winner. Originally in the New York Times, my version is made in a bigger pan due to the increase in ingredients and addition of strawberries. I hope you enjoy it!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing pan

FOR THE STRAWBERRY RHUBARB FILLING:

2 Cups rhubarb, chopped into small dice
2 Cups sliced strawberries
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh)

FOR THE CRUMBS:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter
1 ¾ cups flour (original recipe called for cake flour but I used all purpose)

FOR THE CAKE:

½ cup sour cream
3 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour (cake or All purpose)
3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 9×11” baking pan.

For filling:

Slice rhubarb and strawberries 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumb topping, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in flour with a spatula. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Set aside.
To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 of batter and set aside.
Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon strawberry and rhubarb mixture over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.
Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Banana Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

February 5, 2022 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Recently while grocery shopping, my daughter asked me why we never buy coffee cake. It’s not that I don’t like coffee cake, I just always lean towards making it instead of purchasing it. Especially since it is an easy thing to put together.

This recipe is so good. It combines a lighter banana cake, a sweet crumble toping with pecans, and then an optional “Honey Bun” glaze…(as if that is an option). It’s from a cookbook entitled Big Bad Breakfasts, by John Currance, which I just had to check out. It has a tough guy book exterior, but actually the stories associated with each of the recipes is charming. I love that in a cookbook.

I’m the type of person who would rather go out for breakfast over any other meal. Find me a diner or a tiny cafe, I am in. There is something to having someone else make my breakfast it better.

This batter uses two ripe mashed bananas, which is either the amount hanging around or easy enough to find in the produce section. I like that the banana flavor is present without being overpowering. It comes together quickly, and the streusel topping is out of this world.

In the original recipe it calls for placing the pecans on top of the streusel- I just chopped mine up and added them in with all of the brown sugary goodness. If you wanted to do both, I am sure the larger pieces of pecan would add a special decorative quality as well as flavor boost. I figured since I was opting for the Honey Bun Glaze, I didn’t mind incorporating the pecans with the streusel mixture.

This recipe bakes up beautifully, combining the sweetness of cinnamon and brown sugar with the banana cake.

While your cake is cooling, prepare your glaze and drizzle away! You will not be disappointed!

While the winter season continues to keep us bundling up with warm sweaters and socks, there is something comforting in a recipe such as this. It isn’t just for breakfast either…I am pretty sure a slice of this cake is perfect any time of day.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Love,

Chrissy

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Banana Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

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Banana Pecan Coffee Cake with Honey Buns Glaze is originally from the cookbook Big Bad Breakfast by John Currance. This light banana coffee cake is topped with a generous streusel topping and another layer of sweet glaze!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Cake:

· 1/3 cup granulated sugar

· 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

· 2 ripe bananas, mashed

· 1/4 cup sour cream

· 1 egg

· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 cup milk

Streusel Topping:

· 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

· 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar in my recipe)

· 2 tablespoon granulated sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

· 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans

Honey Glaze:

· 1/2 cup powdered sugar

· 2 tablespoons honey

· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 1 tablespoon milk

· 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside. (I baked my recipe at 350*, you can also line your baking pan with parchment paper for easy lifting/cutting for serving).

Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl and cream together in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, (about 5 minutes).

Add in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and egg. Mix until thoroughly combined.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, then add the milk.

Beat until completely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking 8 x 8 pan.

For the Streusel Topping:

In another bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, and the cinnamon. (I added my pecans at this point or you can add on top after the streusel is distributed).

Add the butter – using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the mixture until coarse crumbs form.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter, then sprinkle the pecans on top.

Bake until the cake is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Glaze:

While the cake is cooking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, honey, vanilla, milk and melted butter.

Drizzle the cake with the glaze, then let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Coffee cake with last up to 2 days covered.

Angel Food Cake and Macerated Strawberries with Vanilla Bourbon and Brown Sugar

June 23, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Father’s Day in our house is weird, as the both my Dad and my children’s Dad are no longer with us. We are in this mode for a few years now so the sting isn’t as strong but it is for sure not the big family get together so many people we know celebrate. Add to it Covid and sheltering at home. Add to it the world being angry and unfolding. Things just look really really different this year.

I have been pondering the many father figures throughout my life and those who have impacted my children’s lives. It’s the everyday things that have touched my heart as a mom that I’ve centered on. Like the one time when things were rougher , a family friend ventured way out onto the sand bars with my son to talk and just see how far out they could go. Or the one who volunteered every year to bring my daughter to the Father/Daughter dance. The coaches and teachers who have stepped up to practice or check in, the friends who have given advice or just asked the questions. It is a reminder that in a time of isolation, we are not and have never been alone.

So many reasons to grieve on Father’s Day for some. For those who never knew their Dad, or for those who did and it was a disappointment. For those who were lucky to have a wonderful father taken away too soon, or those who have a Dad with them now but wait while sickness is a slowly fought battle. It’s this life, this beautiful heart breaking life, that makes us or destroys us, and kind of transcends all of the other things. We all have fathers. We all come from some family story.

My Dad was not a berry picker. He was however, a fan of strawberry shortcake. I have never really chosen this as my ideal dessert, it’s a dry biscuit to juicy berry and whipped cream thing. I haven’t loved it. However, my brain got to thinking…could we make this better?

This year I wondered if there would be berry picking, so many things are slowly opening up and when they do…it all looks different. I understand the reasons and I am a mask wearer social distance pro, soap and sanitizer freak. But berry picking, if at all possible, is a go out in the field isolated event. So when I heard my local farm was allowing you pick, I was there. Early. With the rest of the weirdos who like that thing. It was glorious.

I was listening to the people around me. The older women speaking in another language. The two friends talking about their grown children, families with little ones shouting “I found the perfect strawberry!” It was wonderful. Now, I understand that to MANY the idea of kneeling in the hay picking berries in the early morning sun may seem like a horrible task…but for me, I’m pretty happy in that scene. I’ve embraced it. Even flying solo, there is a peaceful rhythm to it all.

A flat of berries and two batches of freezer jam later, I still had berries. So, shortcake it is.

Only…

What if I took an angel food cake recipe and then made the berries darker and boozier?

Angel food cake is easy to make. It’s egg whites whipped until stiff peaks form and then sifted dry ingredients are folded in. The mixer does most of the work. For a Schitt’s Creek fan, the phrase “fold in the cheese” comes to mind. You gently fold in flour and sugar that’s been sifted several times to be light and fluffy and bake.

The berries are simply mixed with brown sugar and bourbon and left alone. When you are ready, slice the cake, spoon the berry mixture on top, and if you like whipped cream, add it. I would like to say I made homemade whipped cream for this. I did not. Hey, I made the cake. I also like mine without. But if I did make the whipped cream, I would be adding maybe a little of the same bourbon to that, because I can.

My Dad loved Angel Food Cake. We haven’t had it since before he passed, and it was a treat to spend Father’s Day thinking of him, using his mixer, and assembling something I think he would have enjoyed.

We don’t get to chose our Dads. If we are lucky, we get a good one. If we aren’t, we get to decide what we do with the hurt that comes along with it. We get to decide how we raise our children, whether it be similarly or vastly different. We get to choose the next part of our story. We get to map out the next steps, even if we don’t see the whole path ahead.

Friends, I wish you light and love today. For those who have been hurting and broken, I feel you. I have been more humbled and fragmented lately than ever, but the best way. The kind where you realize all the stuff you didn’t know and work on doing the right thing. The place where you unearth the junk and figure it out. Which is hard stuff. But, if we are going to be home with our thoughts for say months on end, we might as well do the hard work, right?

So get to cracking those eggs and separating out the whites. Put your mixer on, sift and fold. And then, slice a big piece of heaven and cover it with sweet berries. It’s a beautiful thing. It really is. And if for some reason you decide to eat leftovers fro breakfast, that’s totally okay too. Fruit, egg whites…it’s all good.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Love, Chrissy

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Angel Food Cake and Macerated Strawberries with Vanilla Bourbon and Brown Sugar

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Light, spongy cake covered in a sweet bourbon strawberry sauce.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Mascerated Strawberries:

2–3 Cups of sliced fresh Strawberries (more if you want more)
1/3 Cup to 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
1/4 Cup Vanilla Bourbon (again, you can adjust this to taste)

Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 Cups Egg Whites (approximately 9 Large Eggs)
1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract (this can also be 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla, 1/2 Teaspoon Almond, or 1 Teaspoon Vanilla)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 Cups Flour (I used regular, you can also use Cake Flour – you are sifting either way)
1 3/4 Cups White Granulated Sugar

Instructions

Prepare a Tube Pan with spray and flour and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325*
Separate Egg Whites and with a mixer, beat until stiff peaks form.
Add Cream of Tartar, and extract. Beat until combined.
Sift Flour, Sugar, and Salt several times to combine and make lighter. (I did this approximately five times)
Gently fold dry ingredients into egg white mixture.
Pour cake mixture into tube pan and place in the oven.
Bake for approx. 45 – 50 minutes.

Berries:

1. Slice berries and combine with bourbon and brown sugar. (I used a vanilla bourbon but that’s what I had on hand).

2. Mix thoroughly and set aside in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend until ready to eat. I am a firm believer that you can add more or less of any of these ingredients to taste.

Notes

I have seen recipes where you can place the cake pan in the cold oven and bake at 325* for 60 minutes.

Sunday Dinners and Irish Apple Cake

March 24, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Sunday dinners are still a thing. Well, at the moment they are a smaller thing, but typically we eat together on Sunday. With work schedules, school schedules, and life in general, we try to all eat together before the week kicks off again. If I am lucky, I don’t have to cook (Sunday I meal prep for the week so the idea of creating something specific for dinner does not bode well). Even if I do, sitting together with my family and puppy at my feet, that’s the norm. I look forward to it. It’s the little things.

My heart is always thankful for the family that gathers together, but once in a while we get to eat with our chosen family, and that is a special treat. It starts with a group text, evolves to a Facebook event with a sign up sheet, and ends with a driveway full of cars and me having someone back my car out when I leave because I am afraid of hitting someone’s truck. True story. There are packaged up leftovers, drinks and laughter. You can move from one room to another and there is always someone to talk to. Those are the extra special Sunday dinners.

This cake made an appearance at last year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner. When the menu included items such as corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and the like…I was on the hunt for a more traditional dessert. We did have a selection of bailey’s cupcakes and trifle, but for some reason, this simple apple cake called out to me.

Flash forward to now. Here we are at the onset of an “essential trips only” stay in place advisory. I find myself asking if I really need anything…or can we make do? Do we risk exposure to this virus or worse, endangering others if we don’t need to? No. Our family is staying put.

That said, I don’t want to waste one thing. I usually have a large bowl of fruit in the middle of the table and I am finding myself with some apples I need to turn into something and quickly. Enter this recipe.

This simple apple cake is layers of dough and prepared cinnamon sugar apples. It is easy to prepare, and if you make it in a spring form pan, looks really pretty when plated. A quick note about making the cake part, if you grate the butter ahead of time and stick it back in the refrigerator to chill, when you cut in the butter to the dry ingredients, it goes really quickly.

While the dough is light and slightly sweet, this dessert isn’t overly so. The apples retain their texture and so there is a nice tooth to this recipe. In a world of crazy sweets, this cake brings a change to the table. You also don’t feel overly guilty having a slice because hey, its mostly apples.

I don’t know when the next big Sunday dinner will be. I know I will be thankful for the invite. I know there will be laughter and friendship. I know we will be changed by what we are living now. I also know that the hearts of those people were already precious and tethered before something like this came into our lives. Because, those are the types of people I am lucky enough to have in my life. I may swim in my own lane, but I know who is with me in the pool. And while I don’t get to go to every thing, they can have my toilet paper if they find themselves without.

To the next family dinner, when we are hearty and hale, and together again. Sending you love friends.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and thank you for coming to the table.

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Irish Apple Cake

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This lightly sweet apple cake combines spicy apple chunks between two doughy layers, sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. It can be served with a caramel or custard sauce, but it is delicious on its own. Adapted recipe from Irish Traditional Cooking.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Sugar
8 Tablespoons Butter, Chilled and Cut/Grated
1 Egg
½ Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Instructions

Peel and chop apples into chunks. You could do slices if you prefer.
Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar to coat. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350* and spray springform pan or cake pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugar.
Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two knives. until pieces are no larger than pea sized.
In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk together.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Pat one half of mixture into prepared baking dish.
Spread apple cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
Cover apples with remaining dough. It is ok if this is imperfect looking.
Bake for 40 minutes. Cake will be lightly brown on the top.
Remove and let cool.
Right before serving, dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Mary’s (Sort of) Apple Cake

February 19, 2019 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

This past year we were blessed at our school with the best intern anyone could ask for. When you work in a team, you count yourself lucky when every one who comes to the table (figuratively) is a contributing member.

In the world of primary education, we wear a lot of hats. We aren’t just teachers, we are so much more…but more on that in another post. You have to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running a lot of the time. You get a lot of great stories, and loving children is a gift in itself, but it’s like the ocean; you don’t turn your back on it.

When a new member joins the team, there is always that time period where you lean in and wonder if it is going to work. Then, you have someone like Mary who just fits right in, right away. Mary not only was kind, but also always did more than was expected, got the job done, and just grafted right into our school family (she is actually a first grade teacher in our building this year). Oh! and she shared this cake…which I then stole the recipe and made myself.

This recipe is the quintessential apple cake. Loaded with chunks of crisp apple and surrounded with cinnamon cake-y goodness, it is not only for autumn when the apples are abundant. I actually made this recipe in the spring, when the final snows were melting and it was time for the freshness of strawberries. To commit to a fall-is recipe when you can dream of sunshine and fresh berries says something!

This cake is one of those recipes that could be served for dessert, but is just as wonderful for breakfast with a cup of your favorite warm beverage. It is sweet, but in a naturally apple-y way.

The original recipe is from Burdick Orchards of New Hartford, Connecticut. Some differences between the original and my changes…

The original called for for more than a cup of oil, which I reduced by reducing the amount and adding applesauce to make up the difference. It also calls for sliced apples and for the cake to be baked in a rectangular baking pan. I changed up the recipe a bit, adding more apples, tweaking the oil; I also baked my cake in a bundt pan and chunked my apples for more texture.

This cake is so moist and flavorful, it doesn’t require a glaze or frosting. It doesn’t even need a dusting of confectioner’s sugar…though any of those would work. I loved that this versatile cake celebrates one of the best parts of New England, the season of apple picking. Yet, it can be made year round.

Just like our Mary, when you encounter something so precious, you tuck it away in your heart and are thankful the universe brings it to you.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Thank you Mary for sharing! And as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Love,

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

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Mary’s (Sort of) Apple Cake

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This delicious, apple and cinnamony cake brings together all of the wonders of fall, although truth be told, the first time I made this was spring! Original recipe is from Burdick’s Orchard, with some alterations by myself.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

3 well-beaten Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup unsweetened Applesauce
2 Cups of Sugar
3 Cups AP Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
4 Cups chopped Apples
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (if desired)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*
Prepare either a Bundt Pan or a 8 X 12″ pan with non stick spray.
Combine Eggs, Vegetable Oil, Apple Sauce, and Sugar and Vanilla.
Sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon.
Add Flour mixture to Egg mixture.
Add Chopped Apple, and Nuts (if desired).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325*
Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Serve plain or with whipped, sour, or vanilla ice cream.

Apple Cider Fritter Cake

October 4, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Apple Cider Fritter Cake

Even though Mother Nature keeps throwing us warm afternoons, and believe me I am thankful for it, the month of October is in full swing and all things fall are happening here in New England.

Mums and Pumpkins adorn doorsteps, the Halloween Decorations are appearing on lawns, and the Christmas stuff is out at various stores. Wait, What?

True. I was told last night Christmas is something like twelve weeks away. have I mentioned I am wearing capris to work? That my flip flops are still in my closet? That I still have to mow the lawn? YES! So this gal is going to hang onto fall with a death grip. Including this cake. Especially this cake.

Freshly Diced Granny Smith Apples

This cake can also be a “bread,” and is coffee cake like in nature. If you look up Apple recipes on the Pinterest (I also call Facebook the Facebook), you will see various recipes for Apple Fritter Bread. Which, had me at hello.

My Dad was a big fan of Apple Fritters. So, when a road trip would happen when I was younger, specifically to pick apples, another Mom and Dad memory, an apple fritter acquisition generally happened. As we grew up, this changed into a monster cookie with granola that is a particular specialty of the farm we visit, but the apple fritter still showed up on occasion.

If you haven’t ever eaten an Apple Fritter, think soft chewy bits of apple, cinnamon, caramel, and dough. Fried. Glaze covered. Sharable in size. I know right? That is a beautiful thing.

So, when I stumbled upon these recipes, I made some changes, turned it into a cake, and hoped for the best. Not every test recipe is a gangbuster. In truth, when I ask my taste testers, I am looking for negatives to improve… and I would maybe add more cinnamon to the batter, but other than that, this one be banging.

It looks complicated, it isn’t. Actually, it’s pretty forgiving, and you get to lightly smoosh apples into the batter to make the middle layer. Then repeat the process. The brown sugar and cinnamon bake up into this delicious caramel layer and the apples get soft, but hold their apple-y-ness. (Have you noticed I make up my own words? It’s a thing. Fortunately those who live with me love me and can interpret for me on occasion).

Apple Cider Fritter Cake

If a recipe can bring my son up from the basement, where his man cave is, with the question, “What are you making?” with a sense of awe and wonder…I consider it a win. (Slight exaggeration in the awe and wonder, he is seventeen). When he asks for seconds, I know I’ve hit the mark.

This cake smells like everything perfect about fall. It would be ok as is. However, you need the glaze. If you wanted to do a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk, it will satisfy. It will be delicious.

But hey, I had cream cheese frosting made up already. So…

This cake looks and smells like a gigantic cinnamon roll, but with the beautiful apple layer tucked inside.

Mic Drop. I can’t sell it any more than that. You need to make this cake. Just saying.

Another story for another day, my thankful table actually broke over the weekend. So, we are making due. This cake made my makeshift table my thankful table once more.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Click below for printable recipe!

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Apple Cider Fritter Cake

Print Recipe

This is the ultimate apple cake, filled with a cinnamon caramel sauce and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Apple Cider Fritter Cake:

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, chopped into small pieces
1/3 Cup packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 stick or 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
2/3 Cup White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (this can be made with AP Flour)
1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Apple Cider
1/4 Cup Milk

Cream Cheese Frosting

One package of cream cheese (usually 8 ounces)
1/2 Cup Butter
3 1/2–4 Cups of Confectioner’s Sugar (Add more for thickness)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla (If you can find the clear vanilla-it won’t tint your frosting…but the real vanilla has a bean in it and it will be worth the trade off color vs. flavor)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*
Prepare a 9″ Springform Pan
Peel and dice Granny Smith Apples into bite sized chunks.
Mix Dark Brown Sugar and Cinnamon and set aside.
In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add vanilla extract.
Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
Add Apple Cider and Milk to mixture and scrape down sides so all is incorporated.
Pour approximately one half of the batter into the pan.
Take one half of the apples, and press lightly into the cake batter.
Sprinkle Half of the Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture on top.
Repeat. with remaining batter, apples and cinnamon mixture.
Bake 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
I put the frosting right on the hot cake and let it melt into a soft white glaze.

For Frosting:

In a mixer, whip Cream together Cream Cheese and Butter until combined.
Slowly incorporate confectioner’s sugar
Add vanilla.