Follow This Tip For The Absolute Best Apple Cake

Speckled with warming spices or spiked with an aromatic dash of rum, apple cakes come in an assortment of inviting flavors. However, the fruit is always the star of the show. If you like your dessert to have a yielding, jammy consistency, place your apples at the bottom of your cake dish before dolloping the batter on top.

An abundance of apple cake recipes call for the fruit to be prepared and baked in different ways. For instance, this Jewish apple cake requires that the key ingredient be thinly sliced and layered into an orange-flavored batter in a considered fashion. In contrast, this ginger apple streusel cake calls for the diced fruit to be stirred into the batter evenly before it is decanted into the tin with a streusel filling. The problem? On some occasions, the apple in these desserts can fail to become swollen and tender in the time it takes for the batter to cook through. While this isn't an issue if you prefer your fruit to have a little bite, it can be annoying if you're after a softer consistency or want your cake to be studded with delectable jammy pockets. Placing your prepped apples at the bottom of your baking dish eliminates this issue because they are exposed to the direct heat of the oven, thereby kickstarting the cooking process and softening up their texture.  

Spreading your apples out on the base of your cake pan mimics the method of making a comforting apple crumble, slump, or cobbler, where the fruit always sits at the bottom in a single layer and a topping, like a streusel or biscuit dough, is placed over it. With all of these recipes, it's essential that you prep your apples first by combining them with butter and sugar. This way they don't burn in the oven. The butter provides the fat the fruit needs to swell and soften, and the sugar lends it a caramel-like glaze. As the sugar melts, it also provides the "glue" for the luscious apples to stick to the cake batter on top, making it easier to scoop out a neat portion from the pan.

If you want your apples to be even softer, partially cooking them inside the cake pan (without the batter on top) is an effective advance move. Just a few extra minutes can give the fruit a head start, allow it to release some of its juices, and ensure that the apples are cooked at the same time as the top portion of the dessert. This trick can be particularly useful for shallower cakes and traybakes that cook at speed because it guarantees that every element of the treat is ready at the same time.