Description
This Moist Sourdough Apple Donut Cake combines tangy sourdough discard with sweet apples and warm cinnamon sugar topping for a tender, flavorful cake. Perfectly spiced and delightfully moist, it uses a simple mixing method and bakes to a golden finish, making it an excellent breakfast treat or dessert.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 80 grams whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 130 grams brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 70 grams sourdough discard, room temperature
- 40 grams sunflower or grapeseed oil
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Dry Ingredients
- 140 grams all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Fruit
- 205 grams quartered apple wedges
Topping
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare it for baking the cake.
- Make Faux Buttermilk: Stir together the whole milk and lemon juice, then set aside. This mixture acts as a substitute for buttermilk, adding acidity to the batter.
- Prepare Apples: Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice the quartered apple wedges paper thin. Then cut these slices vertically and horizontally to create small rectangular pieces. Precision is not critical; just make sure the apple pieces are small and evenly sized.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg, and sourdough discard until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Then add the oil, milk mixture, and vanilla bean paste, whisking again to combine thoroughly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until well blended.
- Incorporate Dry Into Wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, stir until the batter is about half combined.
- Fold in Apples: Gently fold the prepared apple pieces into the batter until no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix to maintain a tender texture.
- Prepare Pan and Topping: Grease or line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper (avoid glass pans). Scrape the batter into the pan and use the back of a spoon to even out the surface. Mix granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to create the topping, then sprinkle it evenly over the batter.
- Bake: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cake for 35 to 38 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy your moist sourdough apple donut cake!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for better incorporation and texture.
- Do not use a glass baking pan as it may affect baking time and cake texture.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding apples to avoid a dense cake.
- The faux buttermilk adds acidity which reacts with baking powder to help leaven and tenderize the cake.
- Slice apples thinly to ensure they cook evenly within the cake during baking.
- Adjust baking time depending on your oven; start checking at 35 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
