Recipe: Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake

APPLE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided use
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups peeled, sliced apples*
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided use
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour one (9-inch) square baking dish.

Sift together the flour, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Finely chop half of the apples and leave the other half sliced. Set aside.

Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well to combine after each addition.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Add the chopped apples and sour cream and stir until combined. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients.

Add the sliced apples and fold them into the batter gently, just until the slices are coated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer.

Stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the batter.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes in a pre-heated oven, or until tester comes out clean and the edges shrink from the sides of the pan.

TO FREEZE:
This cake freezes well. If you wish, bake it in a foil cake pan, and once it has cooled, wrap tightly and seal. Label the package with the contents and the date it was prepared. To serve, thaw the coffee cake at room temperature for an hour, then warm gently in a 250 degree F oven, unwrapped, for about 15 minutes.

*The type of apple you choose will determine the flavor and texture of the finished coffee cake. Tart apples such as McIntosh or Granny Smith are fine choices, but for a mellower taste, try a Northern Spy or Cortland.

Makes 1 (9-inch) square, 8 servings
Source: Baking Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training by The Culinary Institute of America and Darra Goldstein