Christmas is upon us. It is my favorite holiday. I love everything about Christmas: family gatherings, decorations, and especially delicious food. I decided to start baking some new desserts, and this cake was first on my list.
Found in Martha Stewart’s Living magazine and on marthastewart.com, it is delicious and could be a great sweet side to accompany Christmas breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more at room temperature for brushing
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds, seeds removed
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup apricot jam
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Brush a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with butter. Line the bottom and 2 long sides with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter the parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and all the spices; set aside. Whisk eggs until pale and foamy. Whisk sugar and vanilla into egg mixture until combined. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the butter and sour cream; repeat with the remaining until all combined (do not overmix). Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Toss apples with lemon juice and place evenly on top of the batter.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Apples should be tender, and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.
Warm the jam in a saucepan until brushable; immediately brush it on top of the cake when it comes out of the oven. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the cake from the pan when cooled.
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