Cake, cake recipes, Recipes, Thanksgiving, Tutorials, Uncategorized

How to make a Cranberry Apple Cake / Recipe

Behind the cake- Cranberry apple cake recipe frosted with brown sugar spice Swiss meringue with dripping caramel

Not into pumpkin? Let’s make Cranberry Apple cake then!

I do like pumpkin, but since people start using it to cook and prepare deserts with it right around the end of September, by the time it is Thanksgiving day I am not thrilled to have food or dessert which the ingredient is pumpkin. Does this happen to you too?

And the thing is that fall makes me feel so happy, it is like the end of a very hot weather that does not allow me to go outside and enjoy nature. ( South Texas gets pretty hot, humid and full of mosquitoes), so fall for me is like a relief of a very intense hot weather.

At the same time everything starts looking and feeling more mellow, you can go outside and contemplate the plants, go for a walk, play with the kids, work in the yard etc. and I want to start cooking and baking.

To change the flavors a little bit I made this cranberry apple with the expectation to just make a different flavor cake and just to experiment and see how it would turn out. Well, I am glad to say I was so glad to have baked this cake, it is a great option for a Thanksgiving cake.

Now on the video, you will see I added the cinnamon to the apple cubes ( I thought the apple would absorb some of the cinnamon flavors.) You can either do the same or simply add the cinnamon to the dry ingredients.



Did I mention the frosting yet?

Well, something that pairs really well with the cranberry and apple is cinnamon or spice so let me tell you….I am using Brown Sugar Spice Swiss Meringue Buttercream (now, that is a very long name for a frosting) It reminded me of the characters’ names used in Mexican soap operas … you don’t want to know what does are…trust me on this one!

Behind the cake- Cranberry apple cake frosted with brown sugar spice Swiss meringue with dripping caramel

I was not sure how the Swiss meringue buttercream would turn out with the brown sugar and to my surprise, it worked exactly the same as just regular white granulated sugar.

To be cautious with the spice, cinnamon, and Mexican vanilla flavors I added just a little, taste it and then added more until it reached the perfect taste for me. So you can play with the amounts of the spices until you get the perfect one for you.

With the purpose of decoration, I added cajeta ( I just learned it is known as Mexican caramel). Basically, cajeta is “burned” goat’s milk, sugar and either flavoring or liquor (guess which one I prefer).

Behind the cake- Cranberry apple cake frosted with brown sugar spice Swiss meringue with dripping caramel

 

This cake was so good just by itself that it can be used to make breakfast muffins topped with streusel. Mmm and with a cup of coffee… that is a good morning start. Don’t you think?

 

Behind the cake- Cranberry apple cake frosted with brown sugar spice Swiss meringue with dripping caramel

 

If you decide to take a leap of faith and make this recipe I would love to know what you think of it and see some pictures of the results. Thanks a lot for reading me and if you have any question drop me a line on the comment section below.

Thanks, and you take care!

A word of encouragement:

You are amazing and so loved! Go ahead and make someone smile today!

~Vero

Cranberry Apple Cake

This Cranberry Apple cake has the perfect combination of sweet and tangy flavor for a balanced taste. The cranberries add the perfect texture to this soft and moist cake

  • 3 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Brown sugar
  • 2.5 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 Cup unsalted butter (( 2 Sticks of butter))
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1 1/4 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon Lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
  • 1 Large Gala Apple (peeled, cored and diced )
  1. In a cup mix the lemon juice and the milk and set aside for 5 minutes.
  2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl add the butter and sugar to cream them together. ( mixture need to look pale and fluffy).
  4. Add the 4 eggs one by one to the creamed butter/sugar and mix until well combined.
  5. Add the milk and the dry ingredients alternating 3 times. Start with the dry ingredients and finish with the milk. Once it is well combined add the vanilla.
  6. Add the cranberries and apple to the batter and fold them until well mixed.
  7. Pour the batter into 3 – 8 inches round, well greased and floured baking pans and baked them for around 35 – 45 minutes at 350°F ( Depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean after you insert it on the center of the cake.
  8. Let cakes cooldown on top of a cooling rack for at 10 minutes. Remove from baking pans and let them cool off completely on a cooling rack.
  9. Level the cakes and decorate them.

 

Brown Sugar Spice Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Velvety frosting with the taste of fall and cinnamon rolls. Perfect to use on an cranberry apple cake or vanilla cake.

  • 6 Eggs Whites
  • 9 oz Brown sugar
  • 1 Lb Unsalted butter (4 sticks )
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon All spice
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
  1. On a deep pan put some water and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling bring the temperature down so you get simmering water. This will be used as a double broiler
  2. In a clean mixing bow mix in the brown sugar, cream of tartar and egg whites until well combined.
  3. Put the mixing bowl on top of the double broiler and stir the mixture non stop until you reach 156 °F or you no longer can feel the sugar granules between your fingers.
  4. Take the bowl off the heat and whip it up on high until you get stiff peaks and the bottom of the bowl is not hot to the touch.
  5. Add butter pieces and keep up whipping on medium speed until well incorporated.
  6. Add the spices and vanilla.
  7. Keep on whipping until you see the buttercream is thinking in out. Than change to the paddle attachment and beat for about a minute to incorporate everything well.
  8. You can use this right away.