W is currently obsessed with In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. All he wants to do is bake “a delicious Mickey cake,” march around the house and sing “milk! milk! milk for the morning cake!” and “milk in the batter! milk in the batter! we! bake! cake! and nothing’s the matter!”
Instead of searching online or grabbing my usual recipes, I pulled a cookbook from my shelf — Everyday Favourites from Canadian Living — and turned to a straightforward cake recipe that called for apples, since we have plenty on hand. The original is titled Butterscotch Apple Spice Cake; I made a few adjustments because I liked the idea of caramel apples translated into cake.
Have I mentioned Elizabeth Baird? I’ve admired her for years. When I was in grade three I told the class I wanted to be the food editor of Canadian Living magazine when I grew up. Years later, when I told Elizabeth that, she joked, “well, I’m not getting any younger.” As a teen I wanted to dye my hair the same silvery-white as hers, but my mom wouldn’t let me.
I don’t get starstruck easily. Once, in Vancouver, we ran into Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn in a parkade while going to see Shrek 2. Their car pulled in beside ours and Mike held the door for them; he only realized who they were when they were very close and he had a surprised, slightly embarrassed look on his face. I’ve also encountered John Cleese at the Banff Springs Hotel — I’d just finished a cooking demo and walked into the elevator area with chocolate smeared down my cheek and a swollen eye, so his reaction made sense. He likely won’t be ringing me up for tea.
John Cusack might make me a little flustered, though. I could possibly faint. And Elizabeth Baird still makes me flutter; she’s a genuine Canadian food icon. Someday, when I grow up, I want to be Elizabeth.
Back to the cake: I adapted the recipe from Everyday Favourites to highlight the apple and caramel notes. The goal was a moist, warmly spiced loaf that evokes the flavor of caramel apples without being overly sweet. Finely chopped apples fold into a tender batter spiced with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. A light butterscotch or caramel glaze brushed over the warm cake adds that familiar sticky-sweet finish, while a scattering of chopped nuts can provide contrast if you like a little crunch.
This cake is forgiving and well suited to using up an abundance of apples. Choose a mix of sweet and slightly tart apples for the best balance — Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp all work well. Peel and core the fruit, then dice it into small pieces so it disperses through the cake evenly and keeps the crumb tender. Don’t overmix the batter once the flour goes in; a few streaks of flour are fine and help prevent a dense result.
Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool slightly before glazing so the topping sets but the cake stays warm enough to soak up some of the caramel flavor. Store leftovers wrapped at room temperature for a couple of days, or refrigerate for longer keeping. Reheat gently before serving if you prefer it warm.
This simple adaptation from a trusted cookbook captures the cozy spirit of autumn in a single loaf: spiced apple pieces, a hint of butterscotch, and a homey texture that’s perfect with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk — the kind of cake that makes kids want to sing about baking and reminds adults of kitchens full of warmth and familiar flavors.
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