From Scratch

Apples and cinnamon say autumn and it’s a combination I never tire of. This cake, made with oil instead of butter and baked in a fluted tube pan, is simple and homey with a streusel in the batter and not sprinkled on top.

I found the recipe in a book called Bundt Classics by Nordic Ware, the Minnesota company that holds the trademark to the word “Bundt.” Every Bundt pan is a fluted tube pan, but not all fluted tube pans are Bundts. Nordic Ware introduced the pan, which is based on East European Kugelhopf molds, in 1950 but it didn’t take off until 1966, when a Pillsbury Bake Off contestant won second place with her Tunnel of Fudge cake, baked in a Bundt pan.

H. David Dalquist founded Nordic Ware and, according to his 2005 obituary, he designed the pan

at the request of members of the Minneapolis chapter of Hadassah, who sought to recreate cakes baked in Europe but wanted a pan made of modern materials. Mr. Dalquist created a new shape based on a German original, adding regular folds to make it easier to cut the cake. The women from the society called the pans “bund pans” because “bund” is German for an organization or group of people. Mr. Dalquist added a “t” and trademarked the name.”

The connection to Hadassah and, of course, the apples make this Bundt cake a prime candidate for Rosh Hashana. For those who keep kosher, using simple cinnamon sugar instead of the streusel turns it into a pareve dessert.

I used an early apple, the Paula Red, which is a mutation of the Macintosh. It’s a bit more appropriate for baking than the Mac, which turns mushy in pies. The Paulas are a touch firmer, remaining toothsome when baked in batter but without crunch. The recipe tells us to use thin slices but I was in a hurry and cut them about 1/4″ thick. I made the streusel in a mini-chop and, with the use of flour, it’s not a clumpy streusel; the color and texture are like fresh brown sugar.

As for the cookbook, it’s not just for cakes. There are also recipes for molded breads and savories, true to the pan’s Kugelhopf roots. The selection of cake recipes is diverse but only adequate; too many rely on mixes. It’s still available from Nordic Ware at $18. I got a pristine copy at a used book store for $6.

Apple Streusel Cake

Adapted from Nordic Ware

Streusel:
3/4 cup/150 g sugar
1/4 cup/31 g all-purpose flour
4 TB/56g unsalted butter
2 tsp cinnamon

Cake:
3 cups/372 g all-purpose flour
2 cups/400 g sugar
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup/225 mL vegetable oil
1/2 cup/110 mL water
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 -3 medium apples, peeled and sliced thin, about 4 cups

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees/165C/Gas 3. Liberally grease and flour or spray a 12-cup (2.8L) fluted tube pan. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

To make the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or mini-chop and set aside.

To make the cake, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to blend. Add the oil, water and vanilla extract and mix well with a hand mixer, stand mixer or by hand. Add the eggs one a time, beating briefly after each addition. Beat by hand or on medium speed with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes, slightly less with a stand mixer.

Scrape 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with half the apples and sprinkle on half the streusel. Repeat. Add the remaining batter on top.

Bake 70 - 85 minutes, until a tootpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [It needed 75 minutes in my oven ~ ella]

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, unmold onto a rack and let cool completely.

Serves 16

Ella’s notes: Cooking sprays with flour, made for baking, are great for pans like these. I prefer Pam For Baking to Baker’s Joy; Pam For Baking sprays more evenly without blobs. If your tube pan is only 10 cups, Nordic Ware says to fill it 3/4 of the way and make a few cupcakes with the remaining batter.

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