{recipe} Apple Yogurt Crackle Cake

I adapted this cake from a David Rocco recipe and have been tweaking and refining it over a series of delicious weekends. I think it’s now pretty near perfect. It’s buttery, soft, not too sweet, and with a crackly sugar crust I want to put on everything.

I think you can eat this any time of day, really: for breakfast or brunch with a cup of tea, or after lunch or dinner with a little sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

A few tips:

• This cake gets a little soggy once it’s been sitting around for awhile, so I would recommend making it as close to serving time as possible. Within 4 hours of serving time is best.
• I don’t recommend doubling the recipe and using a bigger pan- instead, if you double it, just make 2 smaller cakes. It will come out better.

RECIPE: Apple Yogurt Crackle Cake
makes one 8- or 9-inch square cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• large pinch of salt
• 2 small/medium or 1 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8-inch square or round pan by lightly spraying it with cooking spray.
• Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
• Add yogurt and mix well.
• Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix just until combined.
• Stir in apples with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Scrape into prepared pan.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the top of the cake.
• Bake 40-60 minutes, until a knife or toothpick instereted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool before cutting and serving.
• This cake is best served within a few hours of baking.