Indulge In A Wonderful Danish Apple Cake

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It's Even Better With Cream Cheese Frosting

Fresh apple cake is synonymous with fall, isn't it? For me, it's Danish apple cake! My husband's Grandma Frieda Haeker passed along her special recipe many years ago.

I chased her down after a family gathering to get it. I look back with so much fondness to the days when families got together more often.

Depending on the time of year, the dessert table at those Haeker gatherings would feature whatever fruit was in season. When fall rolled around, there was invariably some amazing apple creation on the table. This is one of them!

But, like anyone who loves to cook and bake, I've made a few changes of my own!

Grandma Frieda's recipe called for strong coffee as one ingredient. I decided to try freeze-dried coffee granules instead and love the subtle flavor it gives this simple cake.

The fragrance of Cardamom brings back happy childhood memories for me, so I used it in my version instead of the more traditional cinnamon and nutmeg.

I fondly remember the cardamom-scented sweets we ate when my Danish cousins gathered back in Iowa. The old Danes washed down all the goodies with gallons of hot coffee, so I consider this combination of flavors a very good marriage!

Happy Cardamom Memories

When I was a little girl, and our mother was baking something wonderful, my brothers and I would break open whole cardamom pods, and she would grind the seeds in a special brass grinder that I have and treasure today!

They are such wonderful memories. You can still buy whole cardamom pods; a coffee grinder works perfectly to pulverize the little seeds! These days, I usually buy ground cardamom, which I keep in my freezer to maintain the quality of this expensive spice.

I have been reading a little more about Cardamom, and I am running quite low. This time, before starting my kitchen baking, I will buy decorticated Cardamom, the whole seeds of the Cardamom that my brothers and I worked so hard to remove from the husks. You grind what you need and keep the rest in a tightly sealed container.

This sentence sold me on the idea, "One whiff of the freshly ground seeds, and you will never go back to pre-ground again." Later, I will post more of my beloved Scandinavian cookie recipes and report back. I know I'm going to love it.

When you bake this wonderful Danish apple cake, I sincerely hope you'll try Cardamom! But if you must substitute something for Cardamom (I will be very sad), mix equal parts of ground cinnamon and nutmeg and use that instead of the Cardamom.

No nutmeg? Then try equal parts cinnamon and ginger or equal parts cinnamon and ground cloves.

How To Make This Danish Apple Cake From Scratch

It starts with some nice tart apples. I used Jazz apples in this recipe, but Granny Smith, Braeburn, or your favorite tart apple will work great, too! Here's a very informative guide to the best apples for baking.

I peeled the apples and cut them into wedges, then chopped them in my food processor, pulsing as I went along. You can chop them any way you like, use a chef's knife or a food chopper, but stop when you get to chunks about the size of a raisin. 

The cake is easy to make. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cream the sugar and eggs until fluffy, then add the oil and vanilla. Continue beating until thick and smooth.

Next, add the dry ingredients alternately with the chopped apples and mix just until it's all blended well.

Bake at 350 degrees in a greased 9" x 13" pan for about 40-45 minutes. The cake will pull back slightly from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean.

Once the cake is completely cool, slather on the easy cream cheese frosting. The bit of tang in the cream cheese plays nicely with the dense, moist Danish apple cake.

You don't need to get too stylish with the frosting application, but here is a fun garnish: one part Fancy Nancy and one part Simple Simon!

A Deceptively Easy Garnish For Your Danish Apple Cake

To make this pretty garnish, you need only some bottled caramel ice cream topping and a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts—toast them if you like!

Starting in a corner, drizzle the caramel topping diagonally from left to right and back again until you've covered the whole cake. Now, take a table knife and pull through the caramel lines in the opposite direction.

While everything is still soft and hasn't set, sprinkle about one-half cup of chopped nuts over the top. Ta-da! It's pretty enough for the Thanksgiving table!

This Danish apple cake is dense, rich, and very moist. Cut it into smaller pieces than you would an average cake. And my old Danish relatives were right—hot coffee is the ideal accompaniment to this delightful cake!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 16 servings

Danish Apple Cake

Print

Here's a wonderful recipe for a dense, moist cake with subtle notes of coffee and cardamom. Top it lavishly with tangy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 cups peeled tart apples, chopped fine
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 Tbsp freeze-dried instant coffee granules
• FROSTING
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Grease a 13" x 9" pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and chop apples medium fine. A food processor makes this step easy! Set aside.
3. Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.
4. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.
5. Gradually add oil and vanilla and continue beating until thick and smooth.
6. Alternately, add the dry ingredients and apples to the egg mixture and beat until all ingredients are blended.
7. Put the batter in a greased pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake pulls back slightly from the sides of the pan and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool completely.
9. Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
10. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed. When all the ingredients are well blended, turn up the speed and continue beating until light and creamy. (Hint: Wrap the bowl with a clean dishtowel until the powdered sugar and the cream cheese mixture are completely blended, then beat until light and creamy.)
11. Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
12. For garnish, start at one corner of the cake and drizzle caramel topping in diagonal lines about 2" apart until you reach the opposite corner. Next, use a table knife to pull through frosting in the opposite direction. See picture.
13. Before the frosting sets, sprinkle with chopped pecans.

While we wait for fresh fall apples to be abundant, you may enjoy this Incredible Peach Cake Recipe with caramel frosting. What's your favorite apple dessert recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe today, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. I'd sure be tickled and ever so grateful; thank you! 

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Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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