Apple Snack Cake

It’s apple season! This is a quick and easy recipe with a deliciously sophisticated taste, thanks to the addition of some crystalized ginger. You can also make it with one apple and one pear. As always, we’ve included gluten and dairy free substitutes.

Streusel Ingredients:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ – ½ cup chopped crystalized ginger
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or dairy free butter
1/2 cup rolled oats

In a small bowl, make the streusel: combine the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, flour, and butter with your fingers until crumbly. Stir in the oats and crystalized ginger and set aside. If it’s hot, pop it in the fridge so that the butter doesn’t melt.

Cake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter or dairy free butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or dairy free buttermilk (add a tablespoon lemon juice to 1 1/4 cups plant milk and let thicken for at least 10 minutes)
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced

Heat the oven to 350F degrees.
Butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish or a 10” round dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating each one in completely and scraping down the sides of the bowl before adding the next.

Alternately stir in the flour and the buttermilk, until the batter is just blended, try not to over mix. Gently fold in the chopped apple.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with streusel.

Bake about 45 minutes or until the top of the cake is firm to the touch and a tester comes out clean. Enjoy!