Dorie Greenspan vs. King Arthur

"My" apple cake
I asked Amy to level the top and she said
"It's fine."

You can find recipe links at the bottom of the post.

One of my favorite things to do is to virtually bake with my kids. They are in Vermont, Washington, DC, and Connecticut. Sometimes we simply just bake whatever we want, but sometimes we bake the same recipe. We turn on our phones and show techniques and equipment to each other (yes, just like the baking shows). We holler instructions, question each other's sanity ("You did what??"), and laugh. This new family tradition began during lockdown.

Yesterday, we did a Dorie Greenspan recipe, Marie-Hélène's Apple Cake. I had shared a King Arthur Apple Cake recipe with the group. We all agreed we were going to bake it. But Andrew, in DC, is our professional-grade baker, who is so serious that he specially insures his kitchen. He found the derivative recipe from which King Arthur (KAF) based their recipe. We read, we compared and debated and decided to do Greenspan's original recipe first. 

Again, "my" apple cake

There were quite a few reasons for the decision. KAF uses two flours, 2 extracts, and a crushed nut bottom. It also used fewer apples. KAF was actually a more complicated recipe, which is odd. I suspect they are going through another phase to gain more readers and market. Greenspan got her recipe from a French woman. Andrew said it was authentic, the way the French bake: no spices, just the pure apple taste coming through. I mocked that, because Greenspan uses 4 apples, each a different variety. I doubt the French had a choice of apples back in the day. I cook with Cortland and Macintosh and that's that. But when I think about it, even though the French probably used what was at hand, we are privileged to have all these apple varieties now that can enhance flavor. 

Because of my arthritis, I can barely cook anymore. Amelia was here and I had the Cortlands, so she made two cakes: mine and one for her house (I did prep the pans, though). Andrew had 2 Granny Smith, 2 Gala, and an extra Gala from a Tarte Tatin he made last weekend, giving him 5 instead of 4 apples. I have farm eggs, but somehow I had gotten medium-sized eggs, so Amelia and I decided we had to toss in one or two extra to make sure the cake was custardy enough. Amelia, good little American that she is, was going to add cinnamon and cloves to the cake, but I threatened her life. The entire point of this bake was to taste apple, not spices, like the old French did. After she divided the batter between the two springform pans, we realized we were short 2 apples (that's what happens when you are all talking at once on a video call), so she cut up another one, tossed the chunks in each pan and stirred it all up. She refused to do a fourth. Andrew ran down to the corner to get the best vanilla extract money can buy (you can do that in DC, I guess). We used the vanilla I make from John's old applejack made from our apple orchard.

We had all agreed not to use rum at all.

Andrew's apple cake
He meticulously leveled the cake top

Final Opinions

(Anna was out shopping in Connecticut but was in on the call)

Me

This cake is divine. I never want another cake in my life. I never want to taste cinnamon again except in my pumpkin and squash pies and breads. I will play with different varieties of apples even though the Cortlands were perfect. I'm not going to even try the KAF version.

Amelia

I'm going to use cinnamon next time.

Andrew

I think if you make this with pears and the rum brandy ice cream I make (which tastes like egg nog) it would be a good Christmas dessert. I'll garnish it with some candied nuts.

Recipes:

Marie-Hélène's Apple Cake

Mostly Apples Apple Cake

_/\_/\_