Regina Rae

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: in my book, dessert for breakfast is ideal, not a no-no.  This cake is perfectly suited for the wee hours and it makes a lip-smacking after-dinner treat, too.  Inspired by Everybody Likes Sandwiches and Gourmet magazine, this sweet is bookmarked into my breakfast recipe bank with zeal!

Ingredients:
For the apples
2 cups crisp apples, chopped (peeled & cored, approximately 3 medium-sized apples)
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup plain yogurt, whole-milk preferred
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Apple Prep:
In a brimmed skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter on stove over medium-high heat.  Add chopped apples and saute until they start to caramelize and turn a golden-brown color (approximately 4-6 minutes).  Add cinnamon and sugar.  Saute another minute.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Cake Prep:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ cake pan.

2. Mix flour, brown sugar and salt.  Break-in butter until the mixture becomes crumbly (about the size of pebbles).  Set aside 2/3 cup for crumb topping at the end.

3.  Beat pumpkin, yogurt, spices, baking soda and evaporated cane sugar until smooth.  Add room-temperature eggs.

4.  Fold in apples (and all the butter-sugar juice from the pan) into the batter.

5.  Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on top.  Bake approximately 1 hour or until golden-brown around edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan for at least a half hour.  Using a dull knife, run around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Serve warm with homemade whipped cream or enjoy at room temperature.  This cake freezes and thaws well, too.

Diet Notes: Nut-free