RECIPE: Make Humble Pie’s Spiced Apple Buckle Cake
Love the Spiced Apple Buckle Cake from Humble Pie. We started going there for the pizza but we are so glad we didn’t resist trying the desserts. This cake is moist and fruity, comfort food at its finest. Will they share the recipe? — Kendra Wilson, Atlanta
Humble Pie pastry chef Carelys Vazquez was happy to share the recipe for a style of cake she learned as a young cook in Miami. “‘Buckle cake’ is a term used for a single-layer cake topped with fruits. In the baking process, the fruits ‘buckle’ the cake.” The restaurant serves the cake with vanilla bean ice cream from Butter & Cream and housemade caramel sauce.
The restaurant is currently serving a blueberry buckle cake, although they will offer the apple buckle cake as a special the first week of June. The apple version is a standard offering through Humble Pie’s new online ordering system, called Pie Shop.
Humble Pie’s Spiced Apple Buckle Cake
Note: For nutritional calculations, a “pinch” is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
- 3 1/2 cups peeled apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 pound)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons plus more ground nutmeg, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon plus more salt, divided
- Pinch ground ginger (see note)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Powdered sugar, for dusting plates
- Vanilla ice cream and Caramel Sauce (see recipe), for serving
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Make spiced apples: In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine apples, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Stir frequently. When mixture begins to bubble, about 3 minutes, add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, vanilla paste and cloves. Reduce heat to simmer and cook apples 5 minutes, then stir in 2 tablespoons butter and lemon juice. When butter has melted, about 3 minutes, mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into apples. Increase heat to medium, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When cool, remove apples from any syrup that has formed. Reserve apples for the cake and reserve the syrup for another use, such as serving with pancakes or as a topping for ice cream.
- Make streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together oatmeal, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and pinches each of salt, ginger and nutmeg. Cut 4 tablespoons butter into 1/2-inch cubes and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.
- Make cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons butter on medium speed until fluffy and pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Stop mixer, use a rubber scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and turn mixer to low. Beat until egg is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn mixer on low speed and add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 2 tablespoons milk until flour and milk are incorporated. Once all ingredients have been added, remove bowl from mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl and stir well to be sure everything is evenly mixed. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with reserved spiced apples, spreading evenly, then top with reserved streusel, spreading evenly.
- Bake, rotating pan every 5 minutes, until edges of the cake are light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Release cake from pan and cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm on powdered sugar-dusted plates, topped with vanilla ice cream and Caramel Sauce.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, without ice cream or Caramel Sauce: 506 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 6 grams protein, 85 grams carbohydrates, 49 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 16 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 63 milligrams cholesterol, 171 milligrams sodium.Caramel Sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil over high heat, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover saucepan to retain heat.
- Combine sugar and corn syrup or honey in medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until mixture turns amber, about 4 minutes, watching to be sure the mixture does not become too brown. Remove from heat and carefully stir in warm cream. When cream has been incorporated, stir in butter until melted. May be made up to 5 days ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container. Warm the sauce before serving.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 73 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), trace protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total sugars, no fiber, 5 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 14 milligrams cholesterol, 4 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Humble Pie, 1115 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta; 404-458-6765, humblepieatl.com.
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