Eggs, vanilla, tart apples, and rum… ahhhh how I sigh for their perfection together. This cake gives French countryside comfort, and I am very here for it these days. Heavy cream does the work of both the milk and the fat in this recipe, and its richness is welcome when paired with the crisp tartness of Granny Smith apples. I almost always choose this variety when baking, by the way. I love that they hold their texture while adding a tartness that I miss when baking with any other apple. Added bonus: they are very easy to find all year round. If you are partial to a different apple, I am not here to stop you! Dark rum is the move here. It goes marvelously with the liberal amount of vanilla that is in our Wild Rye mix and the two together make for a fragrant cake that will get your entire household excited before it even comes out of the oven. Try your best not to underbake this cake. You want the top to be deeply golden and spring back to touch. The addition of the apples can make it a bit trickier to test for doneness, but there is enough moisture in the recipe to allow for a longer bake time. When in doubt, use your toothpick! If there is any batter sticking to the toothpick, your cake needs some more time. I like to go in 5 minute increments. You want your cake tester to come out completely clean with perhaps a few crumbs sticking.
I love to serve this cake for tea or brunch, but it makes a beautiful dessert all year long. The flavors are complemented simply with whipped cream, a dollop of creme fraiche, or a la mode if you’re feeling a la vintage.
WILD RYE APPLE CREAM CAKE
1 box gluten free or classic Wild Rye Vanilla Cake mix
3 eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 Tablespoons dark rum
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
Granulated sugar for dusting
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x3” cake pan
- Peel, core and thinly slice your apples
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, and dark rum until smooth.
- Add Wild Rye’s Vanilla Cake mix and whisk batter until smooth and evenly combined. It will smell amazing.
- Toss in your apple slices and stir together with a spatula until the apples are evenly coated with the batter.
- Pour into your prepared cake pan, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on top of the apple cake batter, and bake for 50-65 minutes, using the trusty toothpick method to know when your cake is baked!
- Allow the cake to cool completely and serve with fresh whipped cream, ice cream, or alone in all of its glory.
