Apple Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Sauce

With all the apples available this time of year, it is hard not to indulge in some of our favorite recipes. Harry has made pear crisp several times this week and this afternoon Alyssa and I made an apple coffee cake. Here is the recipe for those that might be interested. It is a bit rich for a breakfast treat, so we serve it as a dessert with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.

Apple Coffe Cake with Brown Sugar Sauce

2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sauce
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup brandy (if desired)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake - Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan, 9 1/2 inch springorm pan or a square glass baking dish. (Cooking time will vary by a few minutes between metal and glass pans)

Using a pastry blender, work flour with brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Divide mixture in half. Evenly press half into pan bottom to form a crust.

Stir in baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into remaining crumb mixture until blended, then make a well in the center. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in apples.

Evenly spread batter over crumb mixture. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out fairly clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. If top gets too brown before cake is baked, lightly lay a piece of foil over top for last 10 to 20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on a rack. Cake keeps well at room temperature for a day. Covered, it freezes well and is easily cut while still frozen.

Sauce - Melt butter in a small sauce pan set over medium heat. In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour with sugar. Then, whisk into melted butter until the mixture is moistened. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Remove from heat. Serve immediately over warm apple coffee cake or cover and refrigerate up to a week. Reheat just before serving.

Enjoy!!

Somehow the picture of Alyssa was deleted from the last post wearing her hat from Grandma Ann and Grandpa Dave, so here it is.