Besides the pumpkin craze, apple everything is hitting stores too. The markets are overflowing with so many varieties of apples right now. What to do with such easy access to them? Get baking of course!
“This recipe is from a true Southern lady,” reveals Debbie Lawrence (Birmingham, AL). “Made for our family in my childhood days and I’m sure many more times… super yummy and a great way to get that ‘apple a day’. The whole family loves this wonderful taste of my childhood in the South!”
Debbie shared Ms. Geraldine’s Fresh Apple Cake and my taste buds are happy she did. This wonderful apple cake captures all the freshness of harvest season with its sweet, crisp flavors. Perfect alongside an evening cup of joe.
Caramel and apples go together like peas and carrots, so the flavor pairing in Sharyl Maacks (Newfane, NY) Caramel Apple Pecan Bars is on point.
“These bars are sticky and yummy,” thinks Sharyl and I’d agree. This dessert is caramel apple flavor in cookie bar form. Love, love, love!
The trick to baking this dessert is to make sure the apples are sliced very thin so they cook thoroughly. Sharyl usually adds pecans but forgot to in the photo she shared. In the Test Kitchen, we added the nuts and loved the bit of crunch. If you don’t like pecans (or are allergic) leave them out. Your slice will be just as tasty.
While Sharon Whitley’s (Houston, TX) Pumpkin Apple Cinnamon Caramel Cake is baking the kitchen will smell amazing. There’s seriously every flavor of fall in this dessert. The aroma is so good, you may be tempted to bake a cake each day.
“I had an idea for some things in the pantry and made this cake last night,” explains Sharon. “We loved it and hope that you will too.”
Thanks to the apples, this cake is very moist. I loved the apple/cinnamon flavor in each bite. The caramel drizzle tops this cake perfectly! This dessert is made with very few ingredients. Most you probably have handy in the pantry.
“These are yummy, easy to make, and they look so tasty – mix some up for breakfast or snacks,” says Cheryl Culver (Coyle, OK) of her Cinnamon Streusel Apple Cider Muffins.
The streusel topping is what turns this from a good apple muffin recipe to a great apple muffin. The muffin itself is moist with a very mild flavor from the apples. But that streusel… oh my. Full of cinnamon, it bakes to a nice sugary crunch and complements the apple flavors in the muffin. Just delicious!
Do you love baking with apples as much as I do? If so, leave a link to your recipe below. Or, if you’re looking for some more apple inspiration, check out our A is for Apple collection. It’s filled with endless ways to cook with apples. Happy Pinching!