Here's What You'll Need: 

1 stick of unsalted butter 

1 cup + 2Tbs sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean 

*extract works but nothing beats the real thing in this recipe* 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 cup AP flour 

1 tsp salt 

3 apples, peeled and sliced 

3 Tbs powdered sugar 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8" spring form pan; this is a delicate cake so using a spring form pan is an important step, do not skip it!

*Pro Tip: Trace a piece of parchment paper around the bottom of your pan. Cut the round out and place on the bottom of your pan and grease like normally. This saves the anxiety of your cake bottom sticking and helps if you need to unfold early while the cake is still warm.* 

In a mixer, begin by creaming your butter and 1 cup sugar together. Once homogenous, add your vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl down between each addition. Next add all of your dry ingredients and mix until you don't see any flour, then stop. Its okay if there’s still some streaks of flour or little clumps, they'll get mixed by hand when scraping into the pan. It's important not to over mix with the mixer or else too much gluten will develop and you'll have a tougher cake texture.

Pour your batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and then add the sliced apples evenly on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before un-molding. When you’re ready to serve, dust with the powdered sugar and your apple fix has been met.

Tags: pastry, baking, recipes, recipes, fall, apple, cake, comfort