Brown Butter Apple Cake with Alaska Pure Wild Blueberry Sea Salt
Getting through these past few weeks deserves a pick me up! This apple cake provides a rich level of warm comfort and a little zest to boost our spirits. Inspired by a French apple tart recipe, we've made this recipe our own and topped it with our Wild Blueberry Sea Salt for the perfect finish.
This cake is more of a dense apple custard tart than a cake. Don’t be surprised when it bakes down to 1 1/2 inch in thickness. You can also double the recipe, using the same size pan for added thickness, adding 5 - 10 minutes baking time. We have also baked the doubled recipe in 3 smaller 7 inch spring form pans which make fun mini cakes for gifting. It’s great on it’s own but adding some whipped cream, or ice cream will take it to another level. Oh, and it’s also great for breakfast with coffee!
Ingredients
8 Tbs (1 stick) Salted Butter, plus more for pan(s)
1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg, we highly recommend fresh grated
2 1/2 lb. Apples, peeled, cored and 1/4 in. sliced - we like to use a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp, but any apple with work!
3/4 cup Sugar, plus 1 Tbs
1/2 tsp Salt, we use Alaska Pure Original Sitka Flake, but any natural sea salt will work
2 Tbs Brandy, we like Calvados
2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 1/2 tsp Alaska Pure Wild Blueberry Sea Salt
Instructions
Heat Oven to 375 F, rack in middle of oven
Butter and Flour a 10 in. spring form pan
Melt Butter in a full size skillet (12 in.) over medium heat. Swirl the Butter until it starts to brown and has a nutty aroma, about 3 min. then pour into a small heatproof bowl. Don’t scrape the skillet!
Add all the Apples to the buttered skillet, add Allspice and Nutmeg
Cook Apples stirring occasionally until all moisture is released and evaporated and Apples start to brown. 10 - 15 minutes
Add Brandy to Apples and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute
Pour Apples onto a cookie sheet (or plate) and spread out to cool a bit
Whisk Flour, Salt and Baking Powder in a small bowl
Whisk Eggs, Vanilla, Sugar and Lemon Zest in a large bowl, whisk in cooled Melted Butter Mixture
Add Flour mixture and stir until it becomes smooth and thick
Fold in Apples
Pour into prepared Spring Form pan, smooth batter into even layer
Sprinkle with 1 Tbs Sugar
Bake 35 - 40 min, until browned
Sprinkle with Alaska Pure Wild Blueberry Sea Salt as soon as you remove cake from oven
Cool, run knife around the outside and release from pan
Eat!
