Ina Garten used to make this easy apple cake at her Barefoot Contessa store. It’s the perfect fall dessert.

I made Ina Garten’s apple spice cake and found the perfect fall dessert.

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I made Ina Garten’s fresh apple spice cake, her most fall-friendly dessert.
The cake features Granny Smith apples, rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans.
I ate the cake with ice cream and caramel drizzles and absolutely loved the warmth of its flavors.

From her delightfully bright breakfast cake to her “outrageous” brownies, Ina Garten always delivers a delicious dessert — I’ve even ranked them.

But as temperatures began to dip, I wanted to find a sweet recipe that truly embodied autumn. And when I stumbled on Garten’s fresh apple spice cake, I knew I had to try it.

Garten demonstrated the cake on an early episode of “Barefoot Contessa,” revealing she used to make it at the Hamptons food store that helped launch her cooking career.

“We used to have all kinds of cakes like this out on the bakery counter, and you could come buy a whole cake but you could also buy a piece,” she said. “It’s not fancy, just really delicious and earthy, and you always want to come back for more.”

Ina Garten’s apple spice cake features all the classic fall flavors.

I buttered and floured my baking pan before I made the batter.

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I preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greased and floured my 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

Garten has a few special prep tricks to get the best flavor from her ingredients, including the pecans.

The rum-soaked raisins.

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I combined the rum and raisins in a small bowl, which I then covered with plastic wrap and popped in the microwave for 60 seconds.

According to Garten, this helps the raisins plump up and absorb the rum.

I also chopped my apples and zested my oranges.

Making the batter for the apple spice cake.

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I threw in the granulated sugar, dark-brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and orange zest into the bowl of my electric mixer, which was fitted with the paddle attachment.

Garten explained during the “Barefoot Contessa” episode that she uses vegetable oil instead of butter because it keeps the cake really moist.

I mixed my wet ingredients for three minutes.

Mixing my dry ingredients.

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I sifted the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves into a medium bowl.

I slowly added my dry ingredients to the mixer.

Draining my raisins.

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Garten said there’s no need to save the extra liquid.

I folded the raisins, pecans, and apples into the mixture before spreading my batter onto the prepared pan.

My apple spice cake fresh out of the oven.

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Garten recommends baking the apple spice cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

It took my cake 45 minutes to fully bake. Then, per her instructions, I set it aside to cool.

I cut my cake into squares and served each slice with vanilla ice cream and drizzles of caramel. It looked — and tasted — like an absolute delight.

I loved Garten’s fresh apple spice cake for both breakfast and dessert.

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Garten’s apple spice cake is really easy and straightforward to make. I still had the energy to whip it up after dinner on a Sunday night following a big weekend. It doesn’t take much prep, and Garten said that you can even make the dessert ahead of time and bake it right before serving.

But the best part about the cake is its warmth. Garten’s recipe really captures all the fall flavors we know and love and really got me in the pre-holiday spirit. It’s the kind of dessert that makes you want to throw on a cable-knit sweater and watch “When Harry Met Sally” (or maybe that’s just me).

Whether you’re hibernating for fall with Nora Ephron flicks or starting your annual Gilmore Girls rewatch, Garten’s fresh apple spice cake is sure to warm your heart, stomach, and soul.

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source:https://www.businessinsider.com/trying-ina-gartens-apple-spice-cake-for-fall-photos-2023-10