It is that delicious time of year when we can pick, eat, cook, and bake with the #1 fruit in the USA, apples! Next to picking them right off the tree, my favorite apple activity is baking them into desserts. My latest apple baking adventure is with a recipe that came to me via the periodical, Bake From Scratch.

Popular in Chile, this dessert is a German pastry made with two varieties of apples. Kuchen is the German word for “cake” and de Migas is Spanish for “crumbs”. The cinnamon accented pastry dough is filled with a baked apple compote, then topped with a spiced streusel topping. It took a while to make, but it was very worth the indescribably delicious results!

Using two varieties of apples rounds out the flavor profile of this dessert. Pink Lady apples are sweet-tart, leaning slightly to the tart side with bright white flesh that is slow to oxidize and pink skin. Granny Smith apples are a crisp, tart apple with a green skin. Together, these two varieties make a tasty counterpoint to the sweetness of the cake and crumb topping in this dessert. The sweetness of Fall is in every bite!

Kuchen de Migas (adapted from bakefromscratch.com) Total Time Required: 3-1/2 hours, Prep Time: 50 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: up to 80 minutes, Stand Time: 30 minutes, Makes: 1 (9-inch) cake, Serves: 8 – 12

Ingredients:

Apple Filling:

• 5-1/2 cups (670 grams) peeled, 1- to 1½-inch-chopped Pink Lady apples
• 4-1/4 cups (520 gram peeled, 1- to 1½-inch-chopped Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon tightly packed orange zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cinnamon Crumb Topping:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake Dough:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

For the Apple Filling: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the apples, sugars, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Let the apple mixture stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the cornstarch. In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples start to softened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has thickened and the apples are softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the apple mixture to prepared baking sheet, spreading them into an even layer. Let them cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

While the filling is cooling, prepare the cinnamon crumb topping and cake dough.

For the Cinnamon Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, melted butter, and salt until well combined. Stir in the flour and cinnamon until well combined. Set the crumb topping aside.

For the Cake Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugars at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and beat it at low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. The mixture will resemble a soft drop cookie dough.

Assembly: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray and line bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Using a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface, press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan to within 1-1/4 inches from the top edge of the pan, creating a well for the apple filling. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and gently seal any holes or bubbles left in the dough.

Spoon the cooled apple mixture into the dough, spreading it into an even layer.

Sprinkle the cinnamon crumb topping over the apple filling.

Bake the cake until the edges are a deep golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, loosely covering it with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let it cool completely on the base on a wire rack.

Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Apple Season is so very delicious!  ~Linda

Kuchen de Migas (adapted from bakefromscratch.com) Total Time Required: 3-1/2 hours, Prep Time: 50 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: up to 80 minutes, Stand Time: 30 minutes, Makes: 1 (9-inch) cake, Serves: 8 – 12

Ingredients:

Apple Filling:

• 5-1/2 cups (670 grams) peeled, 1- to 1½-inch-chopped Pink Lady apples
• 4-1/4 cups (520 gram peeled, 1- to 1½-inch-chopped Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon tightly packed orange zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cinnamon Crumb Topping:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake Dough:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

For the Apple Filling: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the apples, sugars, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Let the apple mixture stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cornstarch.

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples start to softened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has thickened and the apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading them into an even layer. Let them cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

While the filling is cooling, prepare the cinnamon crumb topping and cake dough.

For the Cinnamon Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, melted butter, and salt until well combined. Stir in the flour and cinnamon until well combined. Set the crumb topping aside.

For the Cake Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugars at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and beat it at low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. The mixture will resemble a soft drop cookie dough.

Assembly: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray and line bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Using a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface, press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan to within 1-1/4 inches from the top edge of the pan, creating a well for the apple filling. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and gently seal any holes or bubbles left in the dough.

Spoon the cooled apple mixture into the dough, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon crumb topping over the apple filling.

Bake the cake until the edges are a deep golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, loosely covering it with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of pan and let it cool completely on the base on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.