Brown Butter Ginger Apple Torte
A perfectly spiced cake sandwiched with brown butter caramelized apples is exactly what every fall day needs.
I have a simple yet satisfying fall recipe for you today. This brown butter ginger apple torte is bursting with fall flavors. A soft spice cake is filled with caramelized brown butter apples and baked to perfection. Need I say more?? I didn’t think so.
The boy and I took a quick day trip to Buffalo, NY on Monday and while we were out there we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon visiting the local zoo. Lazy was the theme. All the animals were just lying around. Not very interested in people…but I wouldn’t blame them, it was a nice day to lay low and chill.
When we got home, I made us this brown butter ginger apple torte for our after-dinner dessert. Remember all those apples I picked from the weekend before? They have been sitting on the counter staring at me. I was too lazy to bake over the past weekend but I was inspired by my crisp day at the zoo to fall into FALL. The recipe is from Food52.
This brown butter ginger apple torte is a great combination of ginger and apple. Think gingerbread man marrying apples. A comforting union of fall flavors in one cake. But wait let me break it down so you understand when I say, it’s simply the best apple cake of the season. You have two perfectly spiced cake layers that are sandwiched with brown butter caramelized apples and as if that wasn’t enough top all that with a layer of turbinado sugar that crystallizes. See??? It’s the best apple cake!! It’s what dreams are made of. Easy, simple, and just perfect after a wonderful fall day at the zoo.
Brown Butter Ginger Apple Torte
A perfectly spiced cake sandwiched with brown butter caramelized apples is exactly what every fall day needs!
Ingredients
- 3 large apples (I used Mactintosh and Galas), peeled, cored and sliced thinly
- ½ cup (1 stick) + 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar, divided
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 10 walnut halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the bottom with aluminum foil.
- Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook butter until it is lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add apples slices and stir until all slices are covered with the browned butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar over the apples and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until the apples are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Caramelize the apples for extra flavor. Set aside to cool while you prepare the cake.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger (if using).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the lemon zest, grated ginger, molasses, rum and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. At this point, the mixture will look curdled but it is OK.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the flour mixture in three batches and mix until combined after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the milk and yogurt until the batter is smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan. Layer the apple slices over the batter. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the walnut halves on top of the cake and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar over the cake.
- Bake cake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Move cake to a cooling rack. Run a small knife through the sides of the pan to loosen the cake completely. Release the sides of the pan and remove it. Let cake cool completely before removing cake from the base of the springform pan.
- Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Food52 - https://food52.com/recipes/7569-ginger-apple-torte
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I love that the apples are sandwiched in the middle. It’s like the perfect little surprise!
Brown butter. And ginger. And apples. Wowza. This torte kinda has it all!
I love your description of gingerbread man marrying apples. If only I can grab a slice right now.
Hhaha thanks Bintu!! The two did embrace really well in this torte.
Nice trip to the zoo followed by an even nicer dessert! This looks so heavenly!
Thanks Marcie!
Mmm…. You had me at brown butter!
Zoos are so much fun. This past spring I went to the San Diego Zoo. It was my first visit in years. So much fun but boy did we walk a lot.
I’m going to San Diego next month for a neuroscience conference and I am looking forward to visiting the zoo!! I’ll have to remember to wear comfortable shoes 🙂
Looks like you both had a wonderful day at the zoo! 😉 And this cake??? It looks awesome, and if it’s got brown butter, I’m definitely in! x
I know brown butter wins!! Thanks Consuelo 🙂
This is autumn in a cake if I ever saw one. My Dad would LOVE this. Pinning this for him … and for me, too:) Layering the filling and the cakes, wow, and I was sold when you said its gingerbread meets apples. *swoon*
Thanks for Pinning dear. I hope you try it soon!!
How could this not be delicious, especially with that dark rum in the filling? Yum! I recently added some ginger to an apple galette and I was so pleased with the resulting flavor. It was a little different from a traditional apple pie, but still a very familiar dessert.
And how fun that you got to go to a local zoo this weekend! That’s one of our favorite things to do. Sure, I love the big zoos, but there’s something appealing about small, local attractions too! (But I’m totally impressed by the animals your local zoo has. Definitely no lions at our local zoo. More like bobcats, haha!)
Jamie, I’m glad you noticed the rum in there! I sneaked it in to help with those cold days lol! Ginger and apples really go well together, I’m not sure why I didn’t combine them sooner. We are very lucky with the zoo here, I love it. But I want to go to a bog zoo one day. We are both going to San Diego next moth for a conference and I am looking forward to see their zoo.
Oh, the San Diego Zoo is wonderful! I grew up in California and my parents took us there as a special treat during the summer. I have so many fond memories. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is amazing, too. Both parks have so many great exhibits. Hope you enjoy your trip to SD!
Jamie, I can’t wait!! I need to email you before I leave for more recommendations of things to do and places to eat!! Well especially bakeries…just saying.
You didn’t sneak it in. This recipe is from here, https://food52.com/recipes/7569-ginger-apple-torte, created by the beloved DrBabs.
I could drink brown butter its so delicious. Apples + ginger are such a great match too. This sounds so perfectly fallish!
Jamie, thanks!! I love apples and ginger together 🙂
This torte looks delicious, especially with the big scoop of ice cream on top! My apples have just beem staring at me too-even with all of the baking I do, I can’t get through them all!
Thanks Meghan. The ice cream was the best part ;). My apples are just there too. I’m hoping this weekend I can make a dent on them.
Zainab, you are such a hero! This is pretty much my ever dream come true. And you know how I feel about brown butter 🙂
Thanks Amy!! Brown butter is a favorite in this house. Much so that I have the man asking “Oooo can you make me an apple crisp soon with brown butter?”